Joao Fonseca Wishes to Call Roger Federer the GOAT Instead of Novak Djokovic After Five-Set Thriller at Roland Garros

Joao Fonseca will face Casper Ruud next at the French Open.

Joao Fonseca Wishes to Call Roger Federer the GOAT Instead of Novak Djokovic After Five-Set Thriller at Roland Garros

Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Joao Fonseca (via X/Roland Garros/ATP)

In Short
  • Joao Fonseca defeated Novak Djokovic in a five-set match at the French Open, marking a significant milestone in his career.
  • Despite being a fan of Roger Federer, Fonseca acknowledged Djokovic as the greatest of all time due to his record 24 Grand Slam titles.
  • Fonseca became the first teenager to beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam tournament and advanced to the fourth round of a major for the first time.

Joao Fonseca has snubbed his idol, Roger Federer, admitting that Novak Djokovic is the GOAT of the sport. The Brazilian teenager, who has met Federer on many occasions off the court and has often stressed that he hopes to follow in his footsteps, gave a contrary remark after beating Djokovic in five sets at the French Open.

Fonseca has often been compared to Federer on the court, and it was not until his early loss at the Madrid Open that he admitted he doesn’t need the comparison. The Brazilian teenager has been one of the brightest sensations of his generation and the only player born in 2016 to win two ATP tour-level titles.

However, the debate over who the greatest of all time player in the sport is has been ongoing for several years. So many players have chosen either Djokovic, Federer, or Rafael Nadal. But for many players, given the fact that Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slams, more than any male player in the Open Era, he deserves to be the GOAT.

But some have opposed that view, stressing that Grand Slam titles aren’t supposed to be the litmus test for who is the GOAT (greatest of all time), but rather the player’s influence. Federer, who won his first of 20 Grand Slams at the 2003 Wimbledon Championships, has been dubbed by some players as the best player because he made thousands of fans and players fall in love with the sport.

Fonseca has never faced Federer on the court and might never do so, except in an exhibition match. But when he did face Djokovic for the first time in his career on Friday (May 28), he overcame the 39-year-old 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 after over four hours at the Court Philippe-Chatrier. He admitted during an interview on TNT Sports that, despite being a Federer fan, he believes Djokovic is the GOAT:

A very crazy experience. It was the first time we shared a court, we had never trained together. It is a pleasure just to be on a tennis court with him. He was destroying me in the first months, but I kept believing in myself. Novak is an idol for the sport. I am a Federer fan, I know Djokovic is the GOAT, although I wish it were Roger, but that’s life. I am grateful to life for this experience.

Fonseca became the first teenager to beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam tournament. This is also the first time he has reached the fourth round of a major tournament. He faces a huge test on Sunday (May 31) against Casper Ruud, who defeated Tommy Paul in five sets at the Court Philippe-Chatrier.

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Joao Fonseca explains how difficult it was to beat Novak Djokovic at the French Open

Three years after Novak Djokovic became a professional player, Joao Fonseca was born. The Serbian legend is over twenty years his senior in the men’s circuit and won 24 Grand Slams before Fonseca made his pro debut.

Novak Djokovic, Joao Fonseca
Novak Djokovic, Joao Fonseca (Image via ATP Tour)

But Fonseca had plans of his own and executed them brilliantly. The Brazilian teenager struck fewer winners than Djokovic (68-70) and hit more unforced errors (47-39), but won crucial moments of the match. He admitted that he was tired after the fourth set but pushed himself beyond his limits in the fifth:

When I won the fourth set, I was already tired. The fifth set was all heart. I couldn’t even think. I was just trying to go. Yeah, I think when I won the third set, I started believing a little bit. It’s difficult to play against him because it just feels that he’s putting the ball where he wants. Sometimes the ball is slow and goes deep, and you need to keep your footwork and need to go hard. The guy just [doesn’t] give up at any time. He’s still 39 and I feel like he’s 20.

Fonseca will hope to continue with the momentum he has found at the French Open. For a player with so many expectations and talent, he can compete against the top players in the circuit. Before beating Djokovic, he had lost to Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz, all in straight sets.

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