In the early morning of May 30 (Vietnam time), No. 3 seed Djokovic lost to Fonseca with a score of 2-3 (6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 5-7) after nearly 5 hours of intense competition.
This is only the second time in his career that the Serbian player has failed despite leading his opponent in 2 sets. Previously, Djokovic had lost to Jurgen Melzer at Roland Garros 2010 in a similar scenario.
The match also marked Djokovic's longest confrontation at Roland Garros, when the two players continuously created exciting chases in terms of points and fitness.
In the first 2 sets, Djokovic started impressively with powerful forehands and stable serves to win consecutively with the same score of 6-4. Experience and bravery helped the Serbian player completely control the game, while Fonseca encountered many difficulties under pressure from his senior.
However, a turning point appeared from the third set when the 19-year-old Brazilian player significantly improved his serving ability, and continuously launched powerful forehands to regain the game. Fonseca won 6-3 in this set before dragging Djokovic into a prolonged physical battle.
In the fourth set, Fonseca successfully saved 2 break-points at a time when he was 3-4 behind, before winning 7-5 to equalize the score 2-2. In the decisive set, Djokovic at one point led 3-1 but could not maintain his physical foundation. The Serbian player repeatedly showed signs of being out of breath in long rallies and had difficulty moving.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Fonseca broke the decisive game when the score was 5-5 before ending the biggest victory of his career with 3 consecutive aces. After the match, the young Brazilian player burst into tears of emotion.
Speaking after the match, Djokovic praised his opponent: "He definitely has great potential. Strength is the most outstanding point in Fonseca's playing style. The whole of Brazil is cheering for him. I hope Fonseca will become the next star in world tennis and win Grand Slam titles".
In round 4, Fonseca will face Casper Ruud.
