Paris, May 30: In a stunning turn of events at the French Open 2026, 19-year-old Brazilian player Joao Fonseca eliminated three-time champion Novak Djokovic in the third round. After trailing by two sets, Fonseca made an incredible comeback, leaving spectators in awe of his performance.
Following the first two sets, Fonseca appeared disheartened as Djokovic dominated the match by winning both sets. However, the Brazilian player rallied back, winning the next three sets and defeating Djokovic, who holds a record 24 Grand Slam titles, with scores of 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5.
This marks the second biggest upset in the clay court tournament. Prior to Fonseca’s victory, Jannik Sinner had also exited the competition. As a result, the race for the men’s singles title has opened up significantly, with several players now having a strong chance of winning. Fonseca secured his victory in a grueling match that lasted nearly 4 hours and 53 minutes.
In the fourth set, while serving at 3-4, 15/40, Fonseca was just five points away from defeat. However, the 28th seed managed to save both break points and seized the momentum, forcing Djokovic into a decisive fifth set. Throughout the match, Djokovic appeared fatigued and physically challenged. Despite this, the 39-year-old did not give up and initially took a 3-1 lead in the final set.
Fonseca then staged another comeback, winning six of the last eight games to achieve a memorable victory. This win marks his second against a top-10 player, following his defeat of Andrey Rublev at the 2025 Australian Open. By winning his first tour-level match against Djokovic, Fonseca made history as the first teenager to defeat the former world number one in a Grand Slam event.
This is Fonseca’s first time reaching the fourth round of a Grand Slam. He will next face either 15th seed Casper Ruud or 24th seed Tommy Paul for a spot in the quarter-finals in Paris.
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