Following the unexpected exit of Jannik Sinner—the world’s highest-ranked male tennis player—at the 2026 French Open, another prominent contender experienced an early downfall. Novak Djokovic faced a surprising elimination from the tournament on Friday, succumbing to Joao Fonseca in a five-set match.
Initially, the 39-year-old Djokovic appeared destined for an effortless triumph, securing the opening two sets with scores of 6-4 and 6-4. Nevertheless, Fonseca subsequently began to stage a recovery in the contest. After clinching the third set 6-3, Fonseca then captured the fourth set 7-5.
The decisive final set was fiercely competitive. Both athletes exchanged game victories until the score reached a 5-5 deadlock. Despite a narrow margin in the subsequent game, Fonseca secured a win, advancing to a 6-5 lead and positioning himself ideally for the upset. Although Djokovic made strenuous efforts to equalize, he ultimately dropped the concluding game 7-5, thereby awarding Fonseca the victory in both that set and the entire contest.
This triumph propelled the 19-year-old Fonseca into the fourth round of the French Open, marking a career first. This represents his deepest progression in any of the five prior Grand Slam tournaments he has participated in. His next opponent will be Casper Ruud, who later on Friday overcame American Tommy Paul in a five-set encounter, with their match scheduled for Sunday.
Regarding Djokovic, this marks his earliest exit from the French Open since 2009, failing to progress beyond the third round. In the intervening years, he has been ousted at the quarterfinals stage on five occasions, the semifinals four times, and suffered defeat in four finals. Furthermore, he has claimed the tournament title three times.
Notwithstanding Djokovic’s formidable skills, the French Open has consistently presented itself as his most challenging Grand Slam tournament. His three victories at this event are fewer than at any other Grand Slam, and his 86 percent winning ratio prior to Friday’s match stood as his lowest across all four major competitions.
In the initial stages of his professional journey, securing a French Open title remained out of reach. Having already triumphed at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open by 2011, Djokovic did not achieve his French Open victory, thus completing his career Grand Slam, until 2016. During the four-year period preceding that breakthrough win, Djokovic advanced to the finals on three occasions, suffering defeats in each of those matches before finally succeeding.
This incident represents the second significant upset in the men’s draw at the 2026 French Open. On Thursday, the world’s top-ranked player, Jannik Sinner, was defeated by Juan Manuel Cerundolo in a five-set thriller. Although Sinner commenced the match powerfully, a contentious medical timeout due to cramping ultimately contributed to his downfall. Sinner did resume play after the timeout but seemed diminished, eventually ceding the last three sets and the match.
With both Sinner and Djokovic eliminated — and Carlos Alcaraz absent from the competition due to an injury — the men’s draw now seems wide open for any contender. Sinner entered the tournament as the top seed in the men’s category, while Djokovic held the third seed. Following their respective defeats — coupled with the second-round loss of the No. 5 seed Ben Shelton — Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime stand as the sole remaining top-5 seeded players in the men’s field.
