Joao Fonseca is 0-5 against Top 5 players but kept it close against Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev this year.
Novak Djokovic is likely to be drawn into a long match here, over 38.5 games expected at the French Open.
| Joao Fonseca | Novak Djokovic | |
|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Brazil | Serbia |
| Age | 19 (21 August 2006) | 39 (22 May 1987) |
| Height | 6'2" (1.88m) | 6'2" (1.88m) |
| Plays | Right-Handed | Right-Handed |
| Ranking | 30 | 4 |
| Career High | 24 (November 2025) | 1 (July 2011) |
| ATP Tour Titles | 2 | 101 |
| Grand Slam Titles | 0 | 24 |
| French Open Best Result | Third Round (2025) | Winner (2016, 2021, 2023) |
HTH
This will be the first match between Joao Fonseca and Novak Djokovic.
Fonseca Passes Fitness Test
Joao Fonseca ended the hard court swing with some positive performances, losing to Jannik Sinner in Indian Wells and Carlos Alcaraz in Miami.
The Brazilian kept running into Top 10 players in Madrid and Rome, beaten by Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton. He withdrew from the Hamburg Open due to a wrist issue but appears to be unhindered at Roland Garros.
The 19-year-old beat Luka Pavlovic 7-6 6-4 6-2, winning 69% of his 2nd serves and saving 6/8 break points. His fitness was fully tested in the second round, coming back to beat Dino Prizmic 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-1 6-2 after winning 64% of his 2nd serves.
Fonseca talked after the victory: “I think he played really good in the first two sets. It was tough for me. I was not playing good, and he was just destroying me. I'm very happy the way that I stayed positive, the way that I stayed with the good mentality.”
Djokovic Refusing to Win Easy
Novak Djokovic is focusing on winning a 25th Grand Slam and went close at the Australian Open. He beat Jannik Sinner to reach the final where he went down to Carlos Alcaraz.
The Serbian failed to go deep in Indian Wells and Rome, beaten in 3 sets by Jack Draper and Dino Prizmic.
The 39-year-old came back to beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 5-7 7-5 6-1 6-4 at Roland Garros, hitting 45 winners and 18 unforced errors. He looked set for a comfortable victory over Valentin Royer before coming through 6-3 6-2 6-7 6-3 in three hours and 44 minutes.
Djokovic spoke about being unable to close it out in straight sets: “It was a very difficult match, a very big challenge from the start. Credit to him for winning the third set, but I feel it was my fault because I was twice a break up and (attempted) to serve for the match.”