Djokovic faces Fonseca in Paris: 'No room here for excitement'
Third round of Roland Garros, Friday on Court Philippe-Chatrier, the first meeting between Novak Djokovic and Brazil's Joao Fonseca. The Serbian chases records, his young opponent only just turned a match around from two sets down.
- Djokovic and Fonseca meet for the first time at Grand Slam level, third round of Roland Garros.
- The Serbian beat Valentin Royer 6-3, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 in the second round.
- Royer in the second round turned the match around from two sets down against Dino Prizmic.
- Djokovic sets records, his 120th match at a single Grand Slam, the most ever.
Practice on Philippe-Chatrier on Thursday morning went at its own rhythm. Novak Djokovic worked two hours with his fitness coach, then stopped to drink water and let his eyes wander around the stands. Sitting there too was the young Brazilian, hood pulled over his eyes, a white towel around his neck.
Joao Fonseca had finished his epic comeback over Dino Prizmic just two hours earlier. After dropping two sets, the 19-year-old Brazilian took the next three 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.
Friday on the centre court
The match is second on Philippe-Chatrier from 11 in the morning. The draw handed Djokovic that slot as the top seed of that half, but in Paris that no longer mattered. Sinner’s exit on Thursday flipped the thinking of everyone, especially Djokovic’s team.
The Serbian already holds the record of 120 matches played at a single Grand Slam, passing Federer’s Wimbledon count of 119. Ahead of him sits a 25th Slam trophy, the modern translation of the old Yugoslav tournaments.
It was a relief. You feel different when you win a match. That was an important win in tough conditions for both players, Djokovic said after beating Royer.
Royer offered resistance in the third set, and the Serbian saved a match point in the tie-break.
The numbers behind Fonseca
The Brazilian arrives in Paris off a strong clay season. He reached the semi-final in Buenos Aires, the final in Rio, the quarter-final in Barcelona.
- 19 years old, world number 73
- 5 wins from 7 matches this clay swing
- against Prizmic 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 in the second round
- a win over Hurkacz in Indian Wells, one ATP title
Too tough an opponent for most, but Djokovic is still tougher.
The Paris crowd leans Djokovic’s way
The 15,000-seat Philippe-Chatrier court carries the Serbian flag in its first row. The famous Delije group from the diaspora has been camped at Bois de Boulogne since Thursday, with 200 fans from the diaspora in France, Germany and Belgium arriving in the morning hours.
Djokovic won the previous round in front of the Serbian fan sector and tossed his towel into the stands. Tomorrow’s atmosphere promises the same picture, only more intense. Fonseca has no compact crowd in Paris, but he does have a Brazilian quartet following the tournament.
Fonseca has been highly praised over the past few years. His potential and quality as a player are obvious. He has big Brazilian support wherever he goes. He’s a big-stage player, he loves the occasion, he loves the night sessions, Novak Djokovic said.
What awaits the winner
The winner of the third round plays the winner of Hubert Hurkacz against Alexei Popyrin. The semi-final only comes in the second Friday of the tournament.
After Sinner’s collapse, Djokovic’s half of the draw remains attractive. Zverev is the second seed and runs through his half, while the Italians look at Lorenzo Musetti as a realistic candidate to reach the semi-final.
Djokovic went to the gym after practice and said: when he wins, he won’t talk about his opponent’s generation but about the feeling that he’s playing well in Paris. If this match goes by quickly, he’ll be ready for next week.
Fonseca, at 19, gained weight in Paris as a representative of the new Brazilian generation. He won his first ATP title in Buenos Aires in January, reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and showed a ready temperament.
I keep telling my coach that I want to be in Djokovic’s part of the draw, because I know that period will not last much longer. I just want to have that experience in my life, Fonseca said for the official Roland Garros website.
Fonseca said after beating Prizmic that he sees Djokovic as an idol and as the GOAT of tennis. Walking into a match with that kind of emotional weight can be his advantage, but also his heaviest burden. At 19 the Brazilian has already learned not to bow to big names.
Djokovic’s Paris calendar
The Serbian arrives in Paris off an inconsistent season. Five clay titles across his whole career, Roland Garros three times. It was his weakest season before a Slam in the last four years, but Paris always brings special motivation.
After a possible win in the third round, four steps to the final remain. The semi-final on centre court, the final on Sunday 7 June. All of that for a 25th Grand Slam trophy, a number no one in tennis has reached.
Can Fonseca surprise Djokovic on the centre court, or will the Serbian put his Prizmic result back into perspective?
