Novak Djokovic of Serbia cools himself during a break of the third round men’s singles tennis match against Joao Fonseca of Brazil at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Friday, May 29, 2026. (AP Photo\/Christophe Ena)<\/small><\/p>\n
2026-05-29T12:02:12Z<\/p>\n
PARIS (AP) \u2014 Novak Djokovic\u2019s latest quest for a record 25th Grand Slam was ended by Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca in the third round of the French Open on Friday.<\/p>\n
The 39-year-old Serb \u2014 a three-time champion at Roland Garros \u2014 lost 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 as temperatures again reached 33 degrees C (91 F).<\/p>\n
Djokovic looked exhausted in the fifth set but soldiered on and his exit leaves the men\u2019s draw even more open following Jannik Sinner\u2019s second-round exit<\/a><\/span> on Thursday.<\/p>\n Facing Fonseca for the first time, Djokovic mixed trademark defense with stunning winners and delicate drop shots to win the first two sets.<\/p>\n But Fonseca proved resilient and the tied the match on sets. In the final game, Djokovic had a break point for 6-6 but Fonseca served out with three consecutive aces.<\/p>\n \u201cI just enjoyed being on court and what a pleasure it was. It\u2019s my first stepping on court against him,\u201d Fonseca said. \u201cI was just trying to hit the ball as fast I could. Djokovic don\u2019t miss, we still think he\u2019s 20. At the end of the match I think he was more fit than me, that\u2019s crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n About his flurry of aces, he joked: \u201cI felt like (big server) John Isner. I never did this before.\u201d<\/p>\n Then he wished his mother in the crowd happy birthday and thanked all the Brazilians in the crowd.<\/p>\n Djokovic put ice packs on both sides of his face during changeovers. Still, he looked to be in command when he clinched the second set with a forehand volley at the net.<\/p>\n