ROLAND GARROS

May 29, 2026

Joao Fonseca

Press Conference

J. FONSECA/N. Djokovic

4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5.

THE MODERATOR: Joao, congrats. What an amazing experience on Philippe Chatrier. What did Novak tell you at the end of the match?

JOAO FONSECA: More crowd today (smiling). I think, first of all, it was an amazing match. I mean, for me, just sharing the court with him was an unbelievable experience.

In the end of the match he just said, Good luck. Actually, he said in Portuguese. I can't remember. Now he said something like, "Parabens," which means congrats in Portuguese.

He said, Keep it going, good luck. Yeah, for me it was just a pleasure sharing the court with him.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. At two sets to love down, what were you telling yourself that helped you to get back into things?

JOAO FONSECA: Actually, I was not even believing myself. I mean, it was tough to play against him in the heat. He was destroying me.

I mean, if I hit it hard, the ball was coming back harder. If I would go it higher, he was just doing dropshots and going aggressive.

I think I just stayed. I mean, I just stayed focusing on point by point. Not focusing that I had three more sets to win. I was just thinking, let's stay, let's stay. I figured out he was a little bit more tired, and that gave me a little bit more hope. Yeah, I think just stayed.

Yeah, fourth set, when I won the fourth set, I was already tired. The fifth set was all heart. I couldn't even think. I was just trying to go.

Yeah, I think when I won the third set, I started believing a little bit.

Q. So now Jannik Sinner is out, and Djokovic is out. How far do you think realistically you can go? Are you thinking about this now?

JOAO FONSECA: That was my first fourth round in my career. I'm just thinking about my next match. The guys are still playing.

For now, I'm just enjoying the moment. You know, I think just ten minutes after the match I could realize a little bit what I did, what I achieved, how difficult it was, and how amazing it was for me. Yeah, I'm just in the fourth round.

Of course, Jannik and Djokovic out, there's more chances for the guys that are more time on tour, like Sascha, Casper, or whatever.

I'm just focusing match by match. For me it was a great achievement just being able to play my first time round of 16. I'm just going to enjoy the moment.

Q. You've always had lots of different tools, but sometimes you haven't mixed them up so well, as you have said yourself, and made the right decisions and the right shots at the right time. How did you find the right balance today between the power and the touch and figure out sort of what tools would work in the right moment?

JOAO FONSECA: I think Djokovic knows how to handle really, really well with rhythm. It's difficult to play against him, because it just feels that he's putting the ball where he wants. Sometimes the ball is slow and goes deep, and you need to keep your footwork and need to go hard.

The guy just don't give up at any time. He's still, I don't know, 39, 40, and I feel like he's 20. It's just unbelievable.

Like I said, in the first two sets it was difficult for me. I was trying to do something, but nothing was going well. I mean, I was missing some opportunities that I had, missing some easy shots.

I think in the third set I started putting a little bit more of deep returns and going more aggressive with margin, became a little bit more solid and conducting a little bit more the points. Is that right? Yeah, constructing a little bit more better the points.

I think, yeah, staying a little bit more aggressive with more consistency. Yeah, because in the beginning he was doing a lot of dropshots. Every time he was aggressive, he did dropshots. Yeah, he was commanding the point pretty well, and for me it was difficult. I think that was the main point.

I think trying to be more aggressive in the returns and plus one and same in the serves. His return is unbelievable, so for me it was difficult to hold my serve.

But, yeah, I think I felt him a little bit more tired, and that gave me more hope to keep finding the solutions in the game.

Q. I wanted to ask how much does the love of the Brazilian crowd mean to you, especially when they chant your name? How are you planning to celebrate tonight?

JOAO FONSECA: Celebrate? Sleeping. Yeah, the Brazilian crowd was great today. I mean, they were there to support, for sure.

Yeah, I think, I mean, the atmosphere on court was great. The vibe was unreal. I was just enjoying it. I mean, every big point for him or for me, the crowd was going crazy. It was an amazing vibe.

For sure their support meant a lot for me to keep believing and to keep fighting. The fifth set was crucial, because it was all heart for me and for him, I think.