{"id":1962428,"date":"2026-05-29T19:29:37","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T16:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1962428"},"modified":"2026-05-29T19:29:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T16:29:37","slug":"novak-djokovics-last-big-chance-gone-after-stunning-french-open-defeat-against-joao-fonseca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1962428","title":{"rendered":"Novak Djokovic&#8217;s &#8216;last big chance&#8217; gone after stunning French Open defeat against Joao Fonseca"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Novak Djokovic\u2019s \u2018last big chance\u2019 gone after stunning French Open defeat against Joao Fonseca<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/kevin-palmer\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Kevin Palmer                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"29 May 2026 8:29 PM\" data-ps-date=\"29 May 2026 8:29 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1780082977\"><br \/>\n                            29 May 2026 8:29 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on 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                       <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Novak Djokovic\u2019s \u2018last big chance\u2019 gone after stunning French Open defeat against Joao Fonseca\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Novak-Djokovic-looks-on-during-his-match-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Pictured: Novak Djokovic looks on during his match\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Novak Djokovic looks on during his match                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p>When Jannik Sinner crashed out of the French Open in shocking fashion on Thursday afternoon, the door appeared to be ajar for Novak Djokovic.<\/p>\n<p>The Serbian\u2019s chase for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title has been on hold since he won the 2024 US Open, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/jannik-sinner\">Sinner<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/carlos-alcaraz\">Carlos Alcaraz<\/a> dominating the winner\u2019s list at the four major tournaments since then.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/novak-djokovic\">Djokovic<\/a> has been beaten by Sinner and Alcaraz consistently in Grand Slam tournaments since then and he was waiting for a moment when the door to another major title would not be slammed by the new \u2018Big 2\u2019 in men\u2019s tennis.<\/p>\n<p>This, it seemed, was the moment after Alcaraz was unable to defend his title due ot injury and Sinner was down by his biggest rival, as he was overwhelmed by the Paris heat.<\/p>\n<p>As Djokovic took to the court for his third round contest against Jaoa Fonseca, he had that glint in his eyes that suggested he was in a zone that makes him almost impossible to beat.<\/p>\n<h2>More Tennis News<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/french-open\/roland-garros-toni-nadal-dismisses-novak-djokovic-title-chances-names-surprise-real-contender\">French Open: \u2018I don\u2019t see Novak Djokovic as the winner,\u2019 says Toni Nadal<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/novak-djokovic-hits-back-roland-garros-win\">Novak Djokovic rejects contentious press conference question after Roland Garros win<\/a><\/p>\n<p>When he took the first two sets against Fonseca, the 24-time Grand Slam-winning legend appeared to be moving into Grand Slam-winning mode.<\/p>\n<p>Yet this is a 39-year-old Djokovic and that clearly played a role in Fonseca\u2019s remarkable comeback.<\/p>\n<p>The Brazilian wonderkid has been hyped up as the next big thing in the men\u2019s game for the last couple of years, but he needed his Grand Slam moment to confirm he was the real deal and this was it.<\/p>\n<p>As he roared back to seal a 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 win, sealing the biggest win of his career with three straight aces, Fonseca didn\u2019t just cement his own status, but he may have killed off Djokovoic\u2019s final chance to win a major.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI actually didn\u2019t believe I could win the match, I just played and enjoyed being in the court,\u201d said Fonseca.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat an idol we have and what a pleasure it was to step on the court against him so I thank him, I am very happy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was just trying to hit the ball as fast as I could, I mean Djokovic doesn\u2019t miss and we still think he\u2019s 20.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the end of the match he was more fit than me which is crazy and when the day was getting darker, I felt much slower. In the beginning, I was struggling with the heat and not feeling good.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just believed I could do aces, it was crazy. I have never done that before I am super happy that I could finish like this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Djokovic will now have time to practice his grass court skills ahead of Wimbledon, where he believes he can finally crack that 25th Grand Slam title.<\/p>\n<p>However, this felt like a moment when the greatest player of them all finally came up against a younger generation who have passed him by.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ NEXT: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/french-open\/novak-djokovic-issues-strong-complaint-during-roland-garros-match-against-joao-fonseca\">Novak Djokovic issues strong complaint during Roland Garros match against Joao Fonseca<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Novak Djokovic\u2019s \u2018last big chance\u2019 gone after stunning French Open defeat against Joao Fonseca Kevin Palmer 29 May 2026 8:29 PM Novak Djokovic looks on during his match When Jannik Sinner crashed out of the French Open in shocking fashion on Thursday afternoon, the door appeared to be ajar for Novak Djokovic. The Serbian\u2019s chase [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-1962428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1962428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1962428"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1962428\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1962428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1962428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1962428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}