Novak Djokovic refused to sink to self-pity after taking only his third loss in a five-set match at the French Open on Friday.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion lost 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7–5 to rising Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca in an epic third-round contest at Roland Garros.

While his dream of breaking a record with an unprecedented 25 titles at the majors lies in tatters, the field at the clay-court major remains wide open, with Jannik Sinner out and Carlos Alcaraz missing through injury.

The 39-year-old Serb with three Paris trophies, was tested to the limit by his teenaged opponent.”A couple times where I felt like I was barely standing on my legs towards the end of the match,” he confessed.

“Looking at the crowd and seeing them lift my spirits and support me was
something really magical, honestly.

“So when I take out all the disappointment and negative thoughts about the match, you know, there’s a lot to be proud about, what I’ve been through, what I experienced,.

“I’m very grateful for this kind of experience.”

Though he came to Paris with only one Rome match in hand, Djokovic said he made up for his lack of court time.

“The amount of hours I’ve played in three matches here felt like I played every tournament in the last three months, to be honest. 

“I think I was playing good tennis, really good level. Considering I was injured for three months and trying to come back and then  going pretty much straight into Grand Slam on this surface that is very demanding and, for me, takes more time to get used to, to find my groove. 

“Taking everything in consideration and all the circumstances, I think the level was really good. 

“I was happy with my level. Of course, right now being disappointed right off the court, losing, being close to win it. That’s all I can say.”

Jannik Sinner’s 30-match win streak ended in brutal fashion on Thursday as the world No. 1 lost his second-round match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo after dominating in the first two sets.

The world No. 1 and runaway title favourite was struck by heat illness and cramping as he led two sets and 5-1 in the third.

But any chances of a routine straight-sets result evaporated in 33 Celsius heat,with Cerundolo earning the win of his life 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.

Sinner’s problems began late in the third set on the cusp of the win, with the 24-year-old likely starting to cramp while feeling poorly.

He was broken for 5-3 while serving for the match and lost 11 points in a row as his physical decline picked up speed.

The Italian leaned heavily on his racquet after points and appeared listless in his shot as his strength waned. He applied the ice towels and hand-held fan at every opportunity on changeovers as he slumped in his chair. 

The doctor and trainer arrived as the top seed stood 5-4, 0-40 and took him off court under the rules for what amounted to five minutes of treatment.

The session did little good as Cerundolo won the set to suddenly move into contention.

Sinner went off court after the set but showed no improvement as he lost seven games on the trot as the match hit the three-hour mark.

It was just a matter of time as Cerundolo finished off the fading world No. 1 with a volley winner on the first of three match points.

“It was tough for him, the Argentine winner said. “I also feel a bit lucky. He was serving to win the match. I hope he recovers quickly.

“I’m super-happy to be in the third round. Clay is my best surface and I hope to be ready for the next match.”

The loss was the second major shock for Sinner here after wasting three match points in the 2025 Paris final against Carlos Alcaraz.

Cerundolo is the fifth player at Roland Garros to defeat a world No. 1 before the third round in the Open era.

He is the first since Karol Kucera in 2000 to beat the world No. 1 here.

“I didn’t feel very well on court, but it can happen,” Sinner said. “I was in a good spot, but third set, I couldn’t serve it out. 

“Congrats to him. I don’t want to take anything away from him. He played a very solid match, especially also in the end.

“I struggled, starting to feel very dizzy (third set), very low on energy. 

“I tried to serve it out, but didn’t have a lot of energy. Fourth set, I let it go a little bit trying to have a bit more energy in the fifth. I couldn’t hold and then it all went a bit downwards.”   

Main photo:- Jannik Sinner suffering heat exhaustion as he loses from 2 sets and 5-1 up – ©ATPTour.com

Novak Djokovic stayed the course on Wednesday as he aims at a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, with the Serb reaching the French Open third round 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (7), 6-3 over Valentin Royer.

The 39-year-old Djokovic owns three titles at Roland Garros, the last in 2023. His win put him into a third round here for a 21st consecutive year and ran his win streak over Frenchman to 31 in a row.

But he had to fight hard and needed five match points over two sets to conclude the victory in three and three-quarter hours.

Djokovic said he played too passive as the third set went to a tiebreaker but managed a break in the fourth set to emerge with the victory.

“This was a very, very important win for me,” he said. “Conditions were not easy and the atmosphere was in his favour.

It was not easy for either one of us.

“It was also very hot. Props to Valentin for his performance. It was a great challenge from the start for me.

“He really forced me to play my best tennis.”

The veteran said that serving for the match in the third set and failing was a blow, but he was able to re-group.

“It’s normal to have complications like this. I just hope I don’t play a French guy for the rest of the tournament – this was quite enough for me.”

Karen Khachanov needed almost four hours to overcome determined Argentine Marco Trungelliti, posting a 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (4) result into the third round.

Kachanov will now play a third-round Paris match for the eighth time after denying the Andorra-based South American a second top 20 win here a decade after beating 10th-rnaked Marin Cilic in the 2016 first round.

Andrey Rublev had to go four to oust Italy’s Ugo Carabelli 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) as he won nine of his last 12 matches.. 

Dutchman Jesper de Jong followed up on his Monday ouster of retiring Swiss Stan Wawrinka, going past Italian Federico Cina 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.

The injury hard times continued for Thanasi Kokkinakis, who was forced to retire and send Pablo Carreno Busta ahead 7-5, 4-6, 2-0.

Australian Kokkinakis has suffered in a year-long comeback attempt after radical pectoral surgery in which a cadaver’s Achilles muscle was inserted to attach his pec to his shoulder.

The former No. 65 now standing 855 needed five sets in his first round win here, which surely took a physical toll.

Czech Jakub Mensik fell to the clay with cramps after toughing out a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(11) result over Mariano Navone.

The winner was unable to get back to his feet unassisted, remaining on the ground for the customary post-match handshake.

The ailing winner was finally taken away by first aid workers in a wheelchair and will now play Aussie Alex De Minaur in the third round.

Main photo:- Novak Djokovic reaches his 23rd consecutive 3rd round at Roland Garros – by ATPTour.com