Mumbai: As the match entered its final stages, there were plenty of smiles. Novak Djokovic, who turned 39 last week, was deep behind the forehand side of his baseline when he had to make a diagonal sprint forward to get to a drop shot. He got there, composed himself, and then slammed a crosscourt backhand winner. Then he smiled, and with both arms raised, egged on the crowd at Court Philippe-Chatrier for more cheer.
A few minutes later, Joao Fonseca would chase a drop shot himself, get there and play a forehand winner down the line. More smiles from both ends of the court.
When the match clock read four hours and 53 minutes, Djokovic and Fonseca would embrace at the net amidst another flurry of smiles. The riveting encounter proved to be a roller coaster of emotions. At the end of it all, when Fonseca hammered his 11th ace to pick up a famous 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 win over Djokovic in the third round of the French Open on Friday, both players took a moment to celebrate the incredible exhibition in perseverance they had put on in Paris.
But once the dust settled and there was time for reflection, you could not mistake Djokovic’s devastation after the loss.
For many, this year’s French Open was a good chance for the Serbian to claim a world record 25th singles Grand Slam title. In recent Majors, Djokovic has been a step behind only two players. One of them, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, was skipping Roland Garros due to injury. The other, world No.1 Jannik Sinner was dealt an upset loss on Thursday. Suddenly, the French Open had become his to lose.
He was asked about what he felt of his chances after Sinner’s exit during his post-match press conference, but he chose not to talk about it. What he did talk about though was the performance of 19-year-old Fonseca.
“An incredible match to be part of. Obviously, tough one for me to lose being two sets to love up, but huge credit to Joao for really deserving to win the match,” Djokovic said about the rapidly rising world No.30. “I think he, without a doubt, was the better player in important moments. He just found incredible shots, lines. It was just amazing from his side. Obviously not great for me to be facing a player playing at such a level, but I don’t think I’ve done too much wrong with my game. It’s just that he was just better.”
This was a match between two different generations. So much so that Fonseca was born in 2006, the same year Djokovic faced Rafael Nadal for the first time. That experience gave the Serbian a head start, as he clinched the first two sets, before Fonseca started to unleash his forehand – a weapon that has made him one of the most talked about teenagers on the tour.
From two sets down, he became only the second player – after Jurgen Melzer at the 2010 French Open – to come back from that position and beat Djokovic in five sets.
“It would be nice if it was best-of-three (sets),” Djokovic said, with a rare smile during the press conference. “I ran out of gas, to be honest. He just played really good points, he was attacking, big serves. When I look back in important moments, could I have done something different? You can always say yes. But you just have to say well done, congratulations and hats off. He just played lights out tennis every time there was a decisive moment.”
Despite the loss, there are still some positives to take. Djokovic has been battling injury through most of the season, with the French Open being only his fourth tournament this season. Yet, he did put on a good display.
He hit more winners (70 to 68) than Fonseca and even conceded fewer unforced errors (39 to 47).
“Considering I was injured for three months and trying to come back and then, going pretty much straight into a Grand Slam on this surface, that is very demanding and, for me, takes more time to get used to, to find my groove,” Djokovic said. “Taking everything into consideration and all the circumstances, I think the level was really good.”
This is the first time since 2009 that Djokovic has failed to reach at least the quarter-final of the French Open. But what the early defeat does give him is more time to prepare for Wimbledon – that one Slam he dreamed of winning as a boy and went on to win seven times.
Sinner and Alcaraz are the only other active players to have won at Wimbledon. Once again, Alcaraz will not be there. Even if both are there though, Djokovic always has a shot – he cannot be written off.
With one missing, however, the task, arguably, gets a bit more straight-forward.
But Djokovic, more than anybody else, knows nothing truly is that easy.
On Friday though, he did not make many wrong moves. And it really wasn’t a match that he lost. Fonseca earned the win.
