Teenager Joao Fonseca produced a stunning comeback to defeat Novak Djokovic at the French Open, rallying from two sets down to win 4-6 4-6 6-3 7-5 7-5 and guarantee a new grand slam champion will be crowned in Paris.
The 19-year-old Brazilian became just the second player ever to beat the 24-time major winner from two sets behind, following Jurgen Melzer's victory here 16 years ago. Djokovic, 39, was the last remaining grand slam champion in the draw after Jannik Sinner's exit on Thursday, but his pursuit of a 25th major title ended in the third round.
Fonseca, who had never previously advanced beyond the third round of a slam, looked overwhelmed with emotion as he celebrated the biggest win of his career. "I actually didn't believe I could win," he admitted. "I just played, I just enjoyed being on court, and what a match it was. What an idol we have and it was a pleasure just stepping on court against him."
Djokovic, who struggled with injury and heat-related illness during the match, offered no guarantees about returning to Roland Garros. "I don't know," he said when asked about next year. The Serbian praised his opponent's performance: "Hats off. He just played lights-out tennis. Every time there was a decisive moment, he went for it."
The match was the first career meeting between the two players, with a 20-year age gap. Fonseca's bold shot-making earned him a legion of fans, but his resilience proved equally crucial. After dropping the first two sets, he found his footing in the third and seized momentum in the fourth, saving break points at 4-4 before breaking Djokovic's serve in the 11th game.
Djokovic appeared physically spent in the fifth set, vomiting at the side of the court after the opening game. Yet he continued to fight, but Fonseca remained composed, closing out the victory with three consecutive aces.
Meanwhile, Spain's Rafael Jodar continued his remarkable rise, defeating Alex Michelsen 7-6 (2) 6-7 (5) 4-6 6-3 6-3 to reach the fourth round. The teenager, seeded 27th, is now the second favourite for the title after Sinner's exit. "My mentality is to recover well for my next match," Jodar said.
Czech Jakub Mensik also advanced, recovering from a disastrous first set to beat Alex De Minaur 0-6 6-2 6-2 6-3, extending the run of top-10 seed exits.
