Novak Djokovic Blasts Cameraman for Breaching Privacy at Roland Garros

Novak Djokovic lost to Joao Fonseca at Roland Garros after leading two sets to love.

Novak Djokovic Blasts Cameraman for Breaching Privacy at Roland Garros

Joao Fonseca and Novak Djokovic (images via ATP Tour and Eurosport Espana)

In Short
  • Novak Djokovic was eliminated by 19-year-old Joao Fonseca in the third round of Roland Garros.
  • Fonseca became the youngest player to defeat Djokovic at a Grand Slam and reached the fourth round for the first time.
  • Djokovic's exit marks the first time in the Open Era that no former Grand Slam champion has reached the men's singles round of 16.

Novak Djokovic faced rising star Joao Fonseca for the first time on court today in the third round at Roland Garros. In front of an enthusiastic crowd, the Brazilian rallied from 3-1 down in the decider to seal the win 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 after an arduous 4 hours and 53 minutes.

19-year-old Fonseca is the youngest player to defeat Djokovic at a Grand Slam – marking the first top 5 win of his career. For more context on the generation gap, Fonseca was born nearly a month after Djokovic won his first career title in 2006.

Despite the intense battle today, an amusing moment took place after Djokovic clinched the second set. The Serb looked at the cameraman, who had gotten too close to his face, and sarcastically said:

Can you come more in my face? For God’s sake make some space.

With this victory, Fonseca has reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time. Fonseca also became only the second player to beat Djokovic from two sets to love down after Jurgen Melzer in the quarterfinal of this tournament in 2010. Fonseca demonstrated great calm on court today, along with a powerful forehand and a nice serve, and hit 11 aces.

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Novak Djokovic heaps praise on Joao Fonseca

Novak Djokovic was full of praise for Joao Fonseca, while also acknowledging he “ran out of gas”. Fonseca made his breakthrough last year, when he won two ATP titles and generated a lot of hype. At the press conference, Djokovic said:

Of course, I congratulated him and told him that he deserved to win, played an unbelievable match, and he should be proud of himself, and was wishing him good luck for the rest of the tournament,” said Djokovic. The kind of level of tennis we’ve seen him play has created a lot of hype around him, and I think we’ve all seen today why there is hype around him.

Joao Fonseca and Novak Djokovic (via X/Tennis Channel)
Joao Fonseca and Novak Djokovic (via X/Tennis Channel)

Fonseca is set to face two-time finalist Casper Ruud in the next round, marking their first meeting on court.

Novak Djokovic’s quest for the 25th Grand Slam

Novak Djokovic won his last Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open. He has reached two Grand Slam finals since then – 2024 Wimbledon and the 2026 Australian Open. With two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal and World No.1 Jannik Sinner’s early exit, Roland Garros seemed a great opportunity for the Serb to win his 25th Grand Slam title. Prior to this tournament, his last five defeats in Grand Slams came against either Alcaraz or Sinner.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Image via X/Jose Morgado)

Djokovic has the chance to aim for his desired 25th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, where Alcaraz will also be absent. It will be interesting to see how the 39-year-old’s body holds up in this Grand Slam and if he receives a lucky draw here, as he did at the Australian Open this year, he might go the distance.

With Djokovic’s elimination, this marks the first time in the Open Era that no former Grand Slam champion has reached the men’s singles round of 16. The triumvirate of Djokovic, Sinner, and Alcaraz shared the last 15 Grand Slams. The draw is wide open now with several young stars like Rafael Jodar, Martin Landaluce, Learner Tien, and Jakub Mensik also in contention for the Roland Garros title.

Also Read: Rafael Jodar Responds to Viral Ballgirl Controversy After Marathon Roland Garros Win