Novak Djokovic shared a heartfelt message for Joao Fonseca after a stunning defeat at the French Open.
The Serbian tennis star’s dreams for the record 25th Grand Slam shattered once again on Friday, May 29, after he was stunned by a 19-year-old in the third round of the tournament in Paris.
With Carlos Alcaraz injured and Jannik Sinner suffering a surprise defeat on Thursday, the 39-year-old became a big favourite for the title, and everyone was hoping to see Djokovic lifting his 25th major trophy.
Djokovic loses a five-set thriller 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 5-7 against Joao Fonseca.
Visibly disappointed at the post-match conference, the Paris Olympic gold medallist showed his true sportsmanship and extended heartiest wishes for the teenager.
In his first social media post after Roland Garros heartbreak, the third seed wrote, “An epic battle, @joaoffonseca. And a hard-fought victory you deserve. Best of luck for the rest of the tournament and the incredible career you have ahead of you.”
He concluded the post on Saturday with a special message for Paris saying, “As for Paris… tu as mon Coeur (You have my heart).”
The Brazilian also paid tribute to his idol on Instagram, calling it an “honour and a dream come true” to share court with a “legend like @djokernole for the first time.”
Fonseca will now face Norwegian player Casper Ruud in the fourth round of the French Open on Sunday, May 31.
