Novak Djokovic Eliminated by Young Brazilian Star at 2026 French Open

In a remarkable turn of events at the 2026 French Open, Novak Djokovic was eliminated by Brazilian teenager Joao Fonesca in a thrilling five-set match. After winning the first two sets, Djokovic faltered as Fonesca made a stunning comeback, marking a historic moment with no former champions remaining in the tournament. This defeat also highlights Djokovic's rare loss to a teenager in a major event, ending his impressive streak. Discover the details of this unforgettable match and its implications for the tournament.

By Narendra Chaudhary May 30, 2026, 04:11 IST

Djokovic's Shocking Exit

In a stunning upset at the 2026 French Open, Novak Djokovic was defeated in the third round by Brazilian teenager Joao Fonesca on May 29. The match, held at the renowned Court Philippe Chatrier in Stade Roland Garros, was a gripping five-set battle that extended for nearly five hours. Djokovic initially appeared poised to advance towards his 25th Grand Slam title, winning the first two sets with scores of 6-4, 6-4. However, Fonesca, seeded 28th, mounted an impressive comeback, clinching the next three sets 6-3, 7-5, 7-5. This loss signifies that the tournament will crown a new men's singles champion on June 7, as all previous Grand Slam winners have been eliminated. Notably, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner was ousted by unseeded Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo just a day earlier. Additionally, Stan Wawrinka, Marin Cilic, and Daniil Medvedev were eliminated in the first round, while Carlos Alcaraz withdrew due to injury.

Historic Absence of Former Champions

A 67-Year-Old First

This marks a historic moment in the Open Era (since 1968), as it is the first time that no former champions are competing in the men's singles draw of a Grand Slam. The last occurrence of such a scenario was in 1959 at the Australian Open, where no ex-champions participated. The last time Roland Garros had no former champions in the Round of 32 was back in 1946.

Djokovic's Unprecedented Streak Concludes

Djokovic's Stunning Streak Ends

This defeat marks only the second time in Djokovic's career that he has lost a five-set match after winning the first two sets. Throughout his career, he has played 303 best-of-five matches where he led 2-0, losing only twice, with the previous loss occurring in 2010 at Roland Garros against Jurgen Melzer. Out of these matches, 291 were at Grand Slam events. Furthermore, this is the first time Djokovic has lost to a teenager in a major tournament, having previously maintained an 18-0 record against players under 20 years old at Grand Slams. The youngest player to defeat him prior to this was Rafael Nadal, who was 20 years and 4 days old during their encounter at the 2006 French Open quarterfinals.