Djokovic’s 25th Slam bid ends in a grueling French Open loss to Brazilian teenager

PARIS (AP) — Novak Djokovic’s 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.

The 39-year-old Serb — a three-time champion at Roland Garros — lost 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 as temperatures again reached 33 degrees C (91 F).

Djokovic looked exhausted in the fifth set but soldiered on and his exit leaves the men’s draw even more open following Jannik Sinner’s second-round exit on Thursday.

“Tough one for me to lose,” Djokovic said. “I was barely standing on my legs toward the end of the match.”

Facing Fonseca for the first time, Djokovic mixed trademark defense with stunning winners and delicate drop shots to win the first two sets.

“I was playing good tennis, very good tennis,” Djokovic said. “Taking everything into consideration and all the circumstances, my level was very good.”

But Fonseca proved resilient and 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 and became the first teenager to beat Djokovic at a Grand Slam tournament.

“I just enjoyed being on court and what a pleasure it was. It’s my first stepping on court against him,” Fonseca said. “I was just trying to hit the ball as fast I could. Djokovic don’t miss, we still think he’s 20. At the end of the match I think he was more fit than me, that’s crazy.”

About his flurry of aces, he joked: “I felt like (big server) John Isner. I never did this before.”

Then he wished his mother in the crowd happy birthday and thanked all the Brazilians in the crowd.

Djokovic came to Roland Garros with doubts. After he lost the Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, a shoulder injury limited his clay-court buildup to one competitive match. He labored for at least three hours in each of his previous two rounds but would have thought his chances of adding to his 2016, 2021 and 2023 French Open titles improved after Sinner’s exit.

But the heat that stressed Sinner also got to Djokovic, who applied 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.

But Fonseca, who kept pushing Djokovic back with his big forehand, broke early in the third set and held on to it.

In the fifth set, Djokovic frantically tried to find ways to recover some energy against an opponent 20 years younger but he couldn’t hide his fatigue: He hunched over the advertising boards, his forearms dangling; slumped back in his chair with a towel on his head; grabbed his head with his hands.

He was gracious in defeat.

“I told him (after the match) that he deserved to win and he should be proud of himself. We’ve all seen today why there is hype around him,” Djokovic said. “Without a doubt he was a better player in important moments. Found incredible shots.”

Djokovic said he was unsure if he would play at the French Open next year, although he said the same after his semifinal defeat to Jannik Sinner last year.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Samuel Petrequin And Jerome Pugmire, The Associated Press