Published
May 30, 2026 at 12:16 PM EDT
Tennis legend Novak Djokovic showcased elite shot-making and everything that makes him an all-time champion at Roland-Garros on Friday.
Djokovic, 39, cruised to a two-set lead over Brazil’s emerging phenom Joao Fonseca, 19, in their third-round match. Fonseca met the moment and refused to go down, over and over again, until he smashed three straight sets to defeat Djokovic in the fifth set.
According to TNT host Adam Lefkoe, Djokovic had been 289-1 when leading 2-0 in a major match before losing to Fonseca.
Djokovic is now 0-2 in his efforts to win his 25th career Grand Slam in 2026. He also lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2026 Australian Open final four months ago. As it is, his 24 Grand Slam titles are the most in tennis history. Is his competitive fire still burning to capture No. 25?
After his third-round loss, Djokovic met with the press and was briefly asked about his future.
An off-camera reporter asked, “Will we see you back at Roland-Garros next year?”
Djokovic shook his head and responded, “I don’t know.”
The reporter followed up, “Would it be OK if that was your last match to play against a player like that?”
Djokovic repeated himself: “I don’t know.”
To be fair, Djokovic had just suffered through four hours and 53 minutes of top-level tennis in record Parisian heat. Forgive the man if he wasn’t in the headspace to contemplate anything beyond what just happened on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Even if Djokovic plans to stick around, the next generation has taken the mantle. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have quickly formed the sport’s next epic rivalry and, together, have accounted for the past nine men’s major Grand Slam titles.
One day before Djokovic fell, Sinner shockingly lost to No. 56 Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round. With Alcaraz rehabilitating a wrist injury, the door is open for the first major champion not named Carlos, Jannik, or Novak since Rafael Nadal won at Roland-Garros in 2022.
