Joao Fonseca Beats Novak Djokovic to Crown First-Time French Open Champion

Joao Fonseca beat Novak Djokovic in a five-set French Open third-round match on Friday, winning 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 after nearly five hours of play.

Djokovic’s defeat ended his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title, and it also meant there would be a first-time major champion crowned on the final Sunday of Roland-Garros.

BBC

Fonseca, a 19-year-old Brazilian, said after the match, "I just played, I just enjoyed, and what a pleasure it was," describing the comeback as a coming-of-age moment.

The match unfolded on Court Philippe-Chatrier, where Djokovic had been the only former Grand Slam champion remaining in the men’s singles draw before being sent packing by Fonseca.

Djokovic said of Fonseca, "He just found incredible shots, lines," as the Serbian acknowledged the teenager’s impact in the decisive fourth and fifth sets.

Fonseca framed the win as a focus on the next match, telling reporters, "That was my first fourth round in my career. I'm just thinking about my next match."

Djokovic’s loss also came with a wider draw-shaping context, as the BBC said the second-round exit of Jannik Sinner and the absence of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz meant there would be a new Grand Slam champion crowned in 2026.

BBC

In the same BBC account, Fonseca described the deciding stretch by saying, "I just believed I could do aces, it was crazy - I felt like John Isner. I have never done that before."

The BBC also quoted Annabel Croft on BBC Radio 5 Live saying, "He can proudly say he has lived up to the hype, because everyone was saying he hadn't done much since the hype."

Djokovic, meanwhile, praised Fonseca’s performance in key moments, saying, "I think he, without a doubt, was the better player in important moments in those crucial fourth and fifth".

With Djokovic eliminated, Fonseca’s next opponent is Casper Ruud, a two-time French Open runner-up who saved two match point in his third-round match to beat Tommy Paul.

“The French Open is all about the second Grand Slam title of the year”

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Fonseca said of the altered draw, "Of course, (with) Jannik and Djokovic out, there's more chances for the guys that are more time on tour, like Sascha (Zverev), Casper, or whoever," as he looked ahead to the round of 16.

The BBC described the result as a milestone for the teenager, noting that Fonseca was "the first teenager to beat Djokovic at a major" and that he was through to the second week of a major.

Djokovic’s defeat also left the men’s singles draw with no former men’s Grand Slam champion in the round of 16, a situation France 24 said had not happened in the Open era since no former men’s Grand Slam champion reached the last 16 at a major.

As the French Open moves forward, the BBC said the win meant there will be a new Grand Slam champion crowned in 2026, with Fonseca’s comeback victory ensuring the final Sunday will feature a first-time major winner.