Fonseca, after his feat against Djokovic: "I realized he was a little tired and that gave me hope"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 29 May 2026 | 23.58

Fonseca, after his feat against Djokovic: "I realized he was a bit tired and that gave me hope." Photo: Getty Images

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Joao Fonseca has already begun to write his name in tennis history. And he does so after a memorable match by coming back from two sets down against Novak Djokovic (4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5) and reaching his first Grand Slam quarterfinals. The leap forward that the Brazilian was asked for came against the best in history and at Roland Garros 2026.

Even so, he does not yet see himself as a title contender in the most open Roland Garros in history. This was confirmed in a press conference where Punto de Break was present, discussing how he turned around a match that became very challenging.

Joao Fonseca reveals what changed to come back against Novak Djokovic in Roland Garros 2026

"First of all, it was an incredible match for me. Simply sharing the court with him was an amazing experience. At the end of the match, he told me 'good luck.' In fact, he said it in Portuguese. Right now, I can't remember exactly. He said something like 'parabéns,' which means congratulations in Portuguese. And then he told me to keep it up and wished me luck. It was a pleasure for me to share the court with him."

He never stopped believing in himself

"It was very tough to play against him in that heat. He was wearing me out. If I hit hard, the ball came back even harder. If I played higher, he would drop shot or become aggressive. I just kept going. I focused point by point. I wasn't thinking that I still had to win three more sets. I just kept telling myself: 'keep going, keep going.' I noticed that he was a bit tired, and that gave me some hope."

"And I just kept going. When I won the fourth set, I was already exhausted. The fifth set was brutal. I couldn't even think, just tried to keep going. I think when I won the third set, I started to believe a bit more."

He doesn't want to talk about potential title aspirations

"It's my first quarterfinals in a Grand Slam. I'm only thinking about the next match. The others are still playing. Right now, I'm just enjoying the moment. I think ten minutes after the match, I could start to realize what I had done, how difficult it was, and how incredible it was for me."

"But I'm still only in the quarterfinals. Of course, Jannik and Djokovic are out, opening up more opportunities for players with more experience on the circuit, like Sascha, Casper, and others. I'm just taking it one match at a time. For me, it was already a huge achievement to play quarterfinals for the first time. And now, I'm just going to enjoy the moment."

He found the balance between power and precision in crucial moments

"I think Djokovic manages rhythms very well. It's very difficult to play against him because he seems to place the ball exactly where he wants. Sometimes the ball goes slow but deep, forcing you to move your feet a lot and hit hard constantly. It's incredible because he's 39 or 40 years old and looks like he's 20. It's impressive."

"As I said, in the first two sets, it was very challenging for me. I was trying things, but nothing was working. I was missing opportunities and relatively easy shots. I think in the third set, I started to hit more deep returns and play more aggressively but with margin. I became more solid and started to construct the points better. I tried to be more aggressive but with greater consistency. In the beginning, he was making many drop shots. Every time I attacked, he dropped shot and controlled the points very well. It was very tough for me."

He reveals the key to the comeback

"I think the key was to be more aggressive with the return and with the first shot after the serve. His return is incredible, so it was very difficult for me to hold my service. But I felt that he was a bit more tired, and that gave me hope to keep looking for solutions."

His compatriots were crucial to the victory

"The Brazilian crowd was amazing today. They were truly there supporting me. The atmosphere on the court was spectacular. The vibe was unreal, and I simply enjoyed it. Every crucial point, both for him and for me, made the crowd explode. It was an incredible energy. Their support meant a lot to me to stay alive in the match and keep fighting. And the fifth set was decisive because everything was very tough, for both him and me," concludes a Joao Fonseca who will never forget the day he defeated a 24-time Grand Slam champion.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Fonseca, tras su hazaña ante Djokovic: "Me di cuenta de que él estaba un poco cansado y eso me dio esperanza"

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