Nineteen-year-old Joao Fonseca of Brazil defeated Novak Djokovic 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 in a five-set marathon on Court Philippe-Chatrier, eliminating the three-time French Open champion and guaranteeing a first-time men's Grand Slam winner at Roland Garros. The match lasted four hours and 53 minutes, with Fonseca rallying from a two-set deficit—a feat Djokovic has now surrendered only twice in his career at a major.
How did Fonseca stage the comeback?
Fonseca saved 11 of 16 break points across the match and seized momentum in the fourth set, where he saved two break points while trailing 15-40 to force a tiebreak. The Brazilian then broke Djokovic at 5-5 in the fifth set and closed the match with three consecutive aces. According to Fonseca's post-match comments, he remained unfazed despite the two-set deficit. "I was just trying to hit the ball as fast as I could," Fonseca said. "Djokovic doesn't miss, and we still think he's 20."
Why does this reshape the men's draw?
Djokovic's exit follows the shock second-round loss of No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner to Argentina's Juan Manuel Cerundolo on May 28, and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz's pre-tournament withdrawal due to a wrist injury. With all three players who have won the last 15 majors now eliminated, no player remaining in the round of 16 has won a Grand Slam title. The men's field now features unprecedented parity, with virtually every remaining contender capable of winning their first major.
What other seeded players fell on Day 6?
No. 8 seed Alex de Minaur of Australia lost to No. 26 Jakub Mensik 0-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 after taking the opening set. No. 13 Karen Khachanov fell to unseeded Jesper de Jong 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-2. On the women's side, 10th seed Karolína Muchova was upset by 170th-ranked Jil Teichmann 6-1, 7-5. No. 2 Alexander Zverev and No. 15 Casper Ruud both survived five-set tests to advance.
The fourth round continues with the men's and women's draws now wide open and the mental challenge of competing without an established favourite weighing on the remaining contenders.
Sources
- Bleacher Report: French Open 2026 Results, Day 6 Bracket Winners, Losers, Highlights and Day 7 Roland-Garros Schedule. Published 2026-05-29.
- Outlook India: French Open 2026: Who Are The Seeded Players Knocked Out On Day 6. Published 2026-05-30.
- Tennis.com: The Roland Garros men's event just got refreshingly messy. Published 2026-05-30.
- Xinhua News: Djokovic joins Sinner in French Open exits as Wang Xiyu reaches maiden Grand Slam last 16. Published 2026-05-30.
- RTHK: Djokovic outlasted by Fonseca in marathon match. Published 2026-05-30.
Reported from public sources.