Brazilian is the first teenager to defeat Djokovic at a Grand Slam event

Joao Fonseca brought his penchant for the big stage to Roland Garros in style on Friday evening, when the #NextGenATP Brazilian rallied from two sets down to shock record 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic.

The 19-year-old Fonseca prevailed 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 in one of the matches of the fortnight so far at the clay major and sent a touted title contender tumbling for the second consecutive day in Paris. After Jannik Sinner’s stunning exit to Juan Manuel Cerundolo on Thursday afternoon, Fonseca rallied past Djokovic across four hours and 53 minutes to inject even further intrigue into one of the most wide-open Grand Slam tournament draws in recent memory.

“I actually didn’t [believe I could win],” Fonseca in his on-court interview. "I just played, I just enjoyed being on court. What a pleasure it was and what an idol we have. It’s a pleasure just stepping on the court against him. It’s my first time stepping on court against him, so just thanking him and I’m just very happy.”

Fonseca was just five points from defeat when serving at 3-4, 15/40 in the fourth set, but the 28th seed fended off those two break points and rode that momentum to force a decider. Djokovic at times appeared to be struggling physically between points but the 39-year-old nonetheless quickly carved out an early 3-1 lead in the fifth set.

Yet Fonseca fought back again, winning six of the final eight games to notch a famous triumph that began in blazing afternoon sunshine and ended under the Court Philippe-Chatrier floodlights. It was his second victory against a Top-10 opponent after his upset of Andrey Rublev at the 2025 Australian Open.

“I was not thinking about [the conditions changing],” Fonseca said. “I was just trying to hit the ball as fast as I could. I mean Djokovic, he just doesn’t miss. We still think he’s 20. At the end of the match I think he was more fit than me, it’s crazy.

“But I felt as the day was getting darker, it was a bit slower and for me that was better because I could produce a little bit more power for sure. In the beginning, I was struggling a little bit with the heat, because I touched the ball and it just [went]. Then after, I felt better.”

With victory in his first tour-level meeting with Djokovic, Fonseca became the first teenager to defeat the Serbian at a Grand Slam event. Now into the fourth round at a major for the first time, the Brazilian will take on 15th seed Casper Ruud or 24th seed Tommy Paul for a quarter-final spot in Paris.

Fonseca struck two fewer winners (68 to 70) and nine more unforced errors (47-39) than Djokovic, according to Infosys Stats. But his ability to raise his level at key moments was crucial, perhaps best showcased by the way he closed out his win. Djokovic threatened to force a deciding tie-break after earning a break point with his opponent serving for the match, but Fonseca promptly sent down three consecutive aces to complete a memorable triumph.

It was just the second time that Djokovic lost from two sets up, with the other also coming at Roland Garros, against Jurgen Melzer in 2010.