Joao Fonseca Sends Message to Doubters After Heroic Win over Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros

Without any doubt, Joao Fonseca‘s third-round win at the French Open put him on cloud nine. He defeated none other than one of his childhood idols, Novak Djokovic, after coming from two sets down to clinch a 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 win in four hours and 53 minutes, booking a spot in the fourth round of a Major for the first time.

Djokovic, for the first time since the 2009 French Open, crashed out of the clay-court in the third round. Also, he failed to make the fourth round of a Major for the first time since the 2024 US Open.

After clinching his career’s biggest win, the 19-year-old said he tried to ignore stuff being said and written about him because he had been struggling to make deep runs in the tournaments he played this season. And now that he has become the cynosure of all eyes once again, he sent a message to those doubters.

I try to stay off social media as much as possible. Both wins come from a lot of work, a lot of expectation, a lot of frustration. Believe in your dreams and stay firm. Dreams can come true.

Joao Fonseca said (H/T: Tennis Majors)

This is Fonseca’s career’s second top-10 win after his victory over Andrey Rublev in the fourth round of last year’s Australian Open. The win has made Fonseca one of the contenders who can grab the Roland Garros title.

A day before Djokovic’s exit, World No.1 Jannik Sinner sent shockwaves when he, despite being just a game away from the win, lost in the second round while cramping. His exit made the Serb a heavy favorite because since the 2024 season, except for the 2024 US Open, he lost only to Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz or he was forced to withdraw (twice this happened) due to an injury. Last year, the 24-time Grand Slam champion progressed to every Major semifinal.

Joao Fonseca is keeping things realistic after Novak Djokovic win

Joao Fonseca knows that his job is not over yet. Although he is super happy after stunning Novak Djokovic, he still has a long way to go to fulfill his goal of becoming a Grand Slam champion. So instead of walking on air, he is keeping his feet on the ground and focusing on his next match.

I’m only thinking about the next match. The others are still playing. Right now, I’m just enjoying the moment. I think ten minutes after the match, I could start to realize what I had done, how difficult it was, and how incredible it was for me.

Joao Fonseca said at the press conference

His next opponent is Casper Ruud, the three-time Grand Slam finalist. Ruud also overcame a two-set deficit to clinch a five-set win over his second-round opponent, Tommy Paul.

Of course, Jannik and Djokovic are out, opening up more opportunities for players with more experience on the circuit, like Sascha [Alexander Zverev], Casper, and others. I’m just taking it one match at a time. For me, it was already a huge achievement to play quarterfinals [fourth round] for the first time. And now, I’m just going to enjoy the moment.

Joao Fonseca added

Fonseca, the first teenager to defeat Djokovic in a Grand Slam tournament, is chasing his third tour-level title after wins in last year’s Argentina Open and Swiss Indoors. Djokovic has already featured in one final this year.

At the Australian Open, after defeating Sinner, he lost to Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard did not play in Paris because of a wrist injury and will also be skipping Wimbledon.

Also read: Marta Kostyuk Voices Safety Concerns After Zeynep Sonmez’s Injury at Roland Garros