PARIS (France) (AFP) – Novak Djokovic said he didn’t know if he would play at the French Open again after his latest quest for a record 25th Grand Slam ended in a third-round loss to Joao Fonseca on Friday._x000D_
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Brazilian teenager Fonseca produced a sensational comeback to erase a two-set deficit and beat Djokovic 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 after nearly five hours on court._x000D_
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Djokovic was condemned to his earliest exit at Roland Garros since 2009, and left the court making a heart gesture to the Philippe Chatrier crowd._x000D_
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Asked if he would be back next year, Djokovic twice replied: “I don’t know.”_x000D_
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The Serbian great has been stuck on 24 majors since the 2023 US Open and may not get a better chance to add to that haul._x000D_
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The 39-year-old, a three-time winner at Roland Garros, had once more emerged as the man to beat following the shock exit of world number one Jannik Sinner._x000D_
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Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz was already missing in Paris due to injury._x000D_
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But Djokovic was in no mood to reflect on what might have been._x000D_
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“I don’t care. I don’t care. I’ll stop you right there. No. Just lost third round. Let’s just talk about something else,” he said._x000D_
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There will be a first-time men’s Grand Slam champion this year at the French Open, ending a run of nine successive majors won by Sinner or Alcaraz._x000D_
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Djokovic said Fonseca had shown exactly why he is so highly rated, despite his struggles for consistency this season._x000D_
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“I congratulated him and told him that he deserved to win and played an unbelievable match, and he should be proud of himself,” said Djokovic._x000D_
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“The kind of level of tennis we’ve seen him play created a lot of hype around him, and I think we’ve all seen today why there is hype around him. The level was amazing.”_x000D_
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Djokovic had reached at least the semi-finals in each of the past five Grand Slams, but he found himself with few answers to Fonseca’s power when it mattered most._x000D_
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“I don’t think I’ve done too much wrong with my game. It’s just that he was just better,” sighed Djokovic._x000D_
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“I think I was playing good tennis, really good level.”_x000D_
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Djokovic entered Roland Garros with very little clay-court playing time under his belt this season._x000D_
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He had played just one match on the surface in Rome after returning from a shoulder injury that had sidelined him since March._x000D_
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“Taking everything into consideration and all the circumstances, I think the level was really good,” said Djokovic, who admitted the support of the crowd kept him going._x000D_
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“A couple times where I felt like I was barely standing on my legs towards the end of the match, and looking at the crowd and seeing them lift my spirits and support me was something really magical, honestly._x000D_
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“When I take out all the disappointment and negative thoughts about the match, 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.”
