Brazilian tennis player João Fonseca, 19, defeated Novak Djokovic 3-2 in sets on Friday, May 29, at Roland Garros. The match lasted 4 hours and 53 minutes and marked the first win by a Brazilian against the Serb in a Grand Slam main draw.
Fonseca came back after losing the first two sets, with final scores of 4/6, 4/6, 6/3, 7/5 and 7/5. He became the first Brazilian to reach the round of 16 at the French tournament since Thomaz Bellucci in 2010.
The Rio native will face Norway's Casper Ruud on Sunday, May 31, with the time yet to be determined. Fonseca has secured 285,000 euros in prize money through this stage.
Djokovic praised the Brazilian's performance and said Fonseca played at an incredible level in the deciding sets. The 39-year-old Serb was also asked if this would be his last appearance at Roland Garros.
International media highlighted the historic comeback and the emergence of a new tennis star. Fonseca said after the match that dreaming costs nothing and that the support from Brazilian fans was fundamental.
