French Open 2026 results: Novak Djokovic beaten by Joao Fonseca in third-round thriller

On another sweltering afternoon in Paris, Djokovic began to control the tempo, breaking his younger opponent in the opening game of the match and beating him twice more in the opening two sets to take a 2-0 lead.

Although Djokovic broke himself in the eighth game of the first set, he responded in style in the second set by holding it to love, rising in his crowd-pleasing best, pointing skyward and gesturing for Court Philippe-Chatrier to turn up the noise after betraying his age to fire a shot before stretching for a forehand winner.

As in the second round match with Valentin Royer, Djokovic’s level dropped in the third set, but this time he could not reassert his superiority.

He was increasingly vocal about his frustration at himself and his coaching staff and looked tired, bending over the towel box in exhaustion several times while at the other end of the court Fonseca was cracking thunderous forehands and toying with the 39-year-old, a multiple drop-shot winner.

Djokovic came out fighting after a long break before reaching the decider, but despite striking the first blow by breaking Fonseca in the fourth game, the youngster, playing a fifth set for the third time in his career, rose to the occasion as the match reached its climax.

After winning just 11 in the first two sets, he scored 22 points to Djokovic’s 14 in the fifth set, including three drop-shot winners in quick succession – prompting pained smiles from his opponent to level the score at 5-5.

Djokovic earned a 16th break point when Fonseca served out the match, but the Brazilian nervelessly nailed three consecutive aces to secure a remarkable comeback win at the first attempt.