The 2026 French Open is guaranteed to be won by a first-time grand slam champion after 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic was ousted in a five-set thriller (4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5) by 19-year-old rising Brazilian star Joao Fonseca on Court Philippe-Chartrier in the third round.
With so much early carnage in the men’s draw — starting with Carlos Alcaraz being unable to play due to a wrist injury and then top-seeded Jannik Sinner’s shocking second round loss — Djokovic seemed to have a clear path to a record-setting 25th major title. Instead, he joins the two other top men’s stars in watching the second week of this year’s French Open from home, with Fonseca ascending to star status with his performance in an instant classic.
The loss is Djokovic’s earliest at Roland-Garros since 2009 and Fonseca became the first teenager to take down the legend in a grand slam, where Djokovic had previously gone 18-0 against teenage opponents. The match stretched out to 4 hours and 49 minutes, the longest in Djokovic’s career at Roland-Garros, and after beginning in sweltering 90 degree heat, the veteran’s legs wore down as the match dragged on — with the 19-year-old seemingly finding more strength the longer it went.