No. 25 still elusive as Joao Fonseca knocks out Novak Djokovic in epic five setter

Joao Fonseca came back from two sets down to beat Novak Djokovic in five sets at the French Open. The result sent the former world No. 1 out and kept his wait for a 25th Grand Slam title alive.

In Short

• Fonseca recovered from a two-set deficit in a near five-hour contest
• The Brazilian won 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 to advance
• Djokovic's wait for 25th grand slam continues

Joao Fonseca has stunned the world to defeat Novak Djokovic and send the former World No.1 from French Open 2026. Fonseca won a match that lasted close to five hours as the Brazilian came down from two sets down to beat Djokovic 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 to make it to the fourth round of a major grand slam for the first time in his career.

For Djokovic, the search for the record-breaking 25th career title continues as the trend of upsets at Roland Garros this year continued. The Serbian came in as the favourite for the clash, knowing that he had the chance to get the title with Carlos Alcaraz missing the tournament and Jannik Sinner crashing out in the second round. But now, the exit of Djokovic means that a new grand slam champion will be crowned this year at Roland Garros.

Djokovic started with real class and momentum and was off the blocks quickly and raced to a 5-1 lead in the first set.

But the defining character of Fonseca throughout the battle was his resilience and never-say-die attitude. He made a sensational comeback to cut the deficit down to 5-4 to have Djokovic sweating a bit in the contest. However, the class of Djokovic was enough to see off the first set, but the warning signs were evident.

The second set was slightly easier for the Serbian, and it seemed like Fonseca's campaign was coming to an end. But the third set quickly turned into a battle of who had the better reserves and it was the Brazilian who was able to break and then consolidate for a 2-0 lead.

Djokovic suddenly found himself scrambling to save the set, trailing 1-4 as the youngster's power was making the former World No.1 feeling the heat.

- Ends