Brazil’s Teen Sensation Joao Fonseca Stuns Novak Djokovic in French Open Third Round

Novak Djokovic’s attempt to win a record 25th Grand Slam title ended in disappointment after he lost to Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca in the French Open third round on Friday.

The defeat means the 39-year-old Serb will have to wait longer to move past Margaret Court’s record, as his search continues late in his career. It also leaves the draw in Paris more open, coming just a day after world number one Jannik Sinner was also knocked out.

The match lasted nearly five hours, and Fonseca’s win made him the first teenager ever to defeat Djokovic in a Grand Slam match. The result also put him in the spotlight as a strong new contender for a first major title.

Novak Djokovic started the match in strong fashion and looked sharp, almost like his younger self. He won five of the first six games and took control early in the opening set on a sunny Court Philippe Chatrier.

During that phase, the Serb hit a brilliant lob, a few powerful forehand winners, and two well-placed drop shots, showing his class on the Paris clay. He closed out the set despite a brief fightback from the 19-year-old Fonseca.

Fonseca, who was still quite young when Djokovic won his first Grand Slam at the 2008 Australian Open, matched his experienced opponent well in the second set. However, he lost his serve in the fifth game.

That gave Djokovic the chance he was looking for. The third seed then took charge of the set, shouting in celebration when he moved ahead 5-3 and pumping his fists after finishing it with a precise passing shot down the middle.

Fonseca stepped up his game to win a set back, then broke serve early in the fourth set. The crowd backed him loudly as he played aggressive shots, and he leveled the match at two sets each, even leaving Djokovic surprised at times.

In the final set, the Brazilian came back from 1-3 down. He held his nerve to stay level after 10 games, then broke to go 6-5 ahead. From there, he finished the match in style with three aces in a row to seal a famous win in the French Open.