Brazilian Teenage Sensation Joao Fonseca Just Marveled The Tennis World As He Ousted Novak Djokovic From The French Open In An All-Time Performance

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With Jannik Sinner shockingly bowing out of the French Open yesterday, that meant either Novak Djokovic would capture his elusive 25th career grand slam title or we'd be crowning a first time champion. While things were setting up for Djokovic, he still had himself a date with a rising young star in the game in the third round —19 year old Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca. Four hours and fifty seven minutes into that date, Novak had been knocked out of the tournament. 

Fonseca just became the first teenager to ever beat Novak at a grand slam and only the second person ever to come back from two sets down in a slam to win a match against Djokovic. If you happened to tune into the match on your Friday afternoon, you were treated to an all-timer. Novak did everything he could to win this thing. By no means did he choke it away. Fonseca was simply that good from the third set on. Five hours in the heat wave, just giving everything they had to try to move on. That's why we watch. 

Here's the thing about Fonseca. When he first broke out on the tour, people knew the crazy talent he had inside. There's the story how he was going to attend college at UVA, but after a hitting practice with Jannik Sinner, the Italian told him there's no way he should be wasting his time in school. He bailed on that idea and turned pro. Because of that hype everyone just assumed he'd follow the Carlos Alcaraz path and immediately start competing for slam titles. Despite his abilities, it was going to take him some time before he could regularly win matches and threaten in tournaments. As a result of that people started to doubt him and even throw around the bust phrase. They were stunned he wasn't already a top 10 player, despite still being a teenager, but that's the effect Carlos Alcaraz has brought to the sport. 

Everyone is searching for that third guy to come up and join him and Sinner as the game's most exciting, young, dominant players. I think today showed people Joao is very much on his way. From the third set on Fonseca blistered forehand after forehand, just painting lines and causing Novak to constantly look to his team in disbelief. Djokovic was playing very well, especially for a 39 year old, but it didn't matter. 

Fonseca won this match by straight up beating Novak Djokovic. For a teenager to do that at a grand slam, down sets to love, is NUTS. Nothing was handed to him here and that's what makes it even more special. Even when it seemed like Novak was finally gonna take control and win the match with his break in the 5th, Fonseca answered right back without blinking. Even when Djoker found another break point chance while Joao was trying to serve this out, Fonseca rattled off three consecutive aces to end it. It was an avalanche of clutch shot-making with the crowd in awe for the final three or so hours of the match. 

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Now with Novak out of the French we're going to be crowning a new champ in a little over a week's time. Who is that going to be? Have fun trying to figure that out. What an opportunity for guys who have been on the tour for years like Zverev, Berrettini and Rublev. You've got your crop of teenagers with Fonseca, Jodar, and the 17 year old crowd favorite Kouame trying to ruin their party. Ben Shelton laid an egg yesterday but Americans like Tiafoe, Tien, and Tommy Paul (as I type this) are still here. This shit was already wide open with Sinner out, but now with Djokovic gone and potentially Ruud if he were to fall to Paul in the match happening now, we're talking literally anyone's game. There's some Hunger Games vibe to all of this and it's very fun. May the odds ever be in your favor.