Novak Djokovic crashes out of French Open after epic five-set thriller against 19-year-old Fonseca

Novak Djokovic's bid for another Grand Slam title at the French Open ended abruptly in the third round, with the 39-year-old Serbian star falling to 19-year-old Brazilian João Fonseca. Djokovic surrendered a two-set lead in a grueling, nearly five-hour match, ultimately losing 6:4, 6:4, 3:6, 5:7, 5:7.

“

I just played. I just enjoyed facing him for the first time. I thanked him and I am very happy.

This defeat marks Djokovic's earliest exit from the tournament in 17 years. He has won 24 Grand Slam titles in his career. His elimination, following that of top favorite Jannik Sinner, now potentially boosts the chances for other players, including Alexander Zverev.

“

He doesn't miss. We still think he's 20 years old!

Fonseca, playing in what he described as potentially the match of his life, expressed his joy and disbelief in a post-match interview. He admitted to not thinking about the court conditions and simply focusing on hitting the ball hard, attributing his comeback to Djokovic's perceived slowing down in the later stages of the match. The young Brazilian also managed to close out the match with three consecutive aces.

“

I think at the end of the match he was in better shape than me. It's crazy. As it got darker, I felt like he was slower. It was better, because I could hit the ball faster. Still, I felt suffocated by the heat. I touched the ball and the ball went away. I didn't feel very well. But I fought.