Alex de Minaur and Novak Djokovic were both sent crashing out of the French Open on a dramatic day in Paris that blew the men’s draw wide open.
With world No.1 Jannik Sinner already gone and Carlos Alcaraz absent through injury, Roland Garros appeared ripe for a surprise contender to emerge.
Instead, it was a day of heartbreak for de Minaur and Djokovic as two of the tournament’s biggest names were bundled out by fearless younger opponents.
Australian star de Minaur squandered a golden opportunity before suffering a 0-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 defeat to Czech sensation Jakub Mensik.
The eighth seed looked in complete control early, racing through the opening set in just 19 minutes and reeling off 15 consecutive points at one stage.
But Mensik, who had collapsed after his previous match and required medical attention following a marathon victory over Mariano Navone, returned a different player after the opening set.
Alex de Minaur squandered a golden French Open opportunity after collapsing from a dominant start
Novak Djokovic blew a two-set lead as teenage sensation Joao Fonseca stormed back
The powerful 20-year-old gradually wrestled control of the contest away from de Minaur, dominating from the baseline and forcing the Australian into a flood of uncharacteristic errors.
As the match slipped away, de Minaur’s frustration boiled over. He smashed his racquet into the clay during the fourth set and received a code violation.
The loss left the Sydneysider searching for answers.
‘I feel like you only get so many opportunities in your career and you’ve got to be ready to take them, and when you don’t take them, it’s gut wrenching, right, especially a day like today (where) I was in the driver’s seat,’ de Minaur said.
‘Things were feeling well. I was hitting the ball well. Physically (I was) fine.’
The Australian admitted he had failed to capitalise on a situation that appeared tailor-made for him.
‘(It is) pretty disappointing (and a) missed opportunity. I just took the foot off the gas,’ he said.
‘I let him back into the match and then just a little bit of what’s been happening the last month, I just couldn’t get out of the cycle.
De Minaur revealed after the loss that he may need a break after a difficult clay season
Djokovic admitted he was barely standing by the end of the marathon contest but graciously praised Fonseca
‘It is very unlike me. (I’m) very disappointed in myself because, I mean, under all kind of circumstances, this is the type of match that I needed to find a way to win.’
De Minaur also revealed he may need to reassess his schedule after a difficult clay-court campaign.
‘I’m in a weird stage at the moment where I have put in a lot and … recently I haven’t felt like I’ve gotten a lot back,’ he said.
‘So (I’m) trying to find that balance of whether it’s again you just put your head down (and) get back to work.
‘Maybe that’s taking a little bit of a toll on me right now. I don’t know. I really don’t know what the solution is.’
While de Minaur’s defeat was painful, Djokovic’s exit was arguably even more shocking.
The 39-year-old Serbian appeared to be cruising into the fourth round after taking the opening two sets against Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca.
But the 19-year-old refused to buckle, storming back to win 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 in one of the biggest victories of his career.
The result marked only the second time Djokovic has lost a match at Roland Garros after leading by two sets.
The Serbian veteran battled through sweltering conditions as temperatures climbed above 30 degrees, but eventually ran out of energy against an opponent 20 years his junior.
‘I was barely standing on my legs toward the end of the match,’ Djokovic said.
‘An incredible match to be part of. Obviously, tough one for me to lose being two sets to love up, but huge credit to Joao for really deserving to win the match.’
Fonseca became the first teenager ever to beat Djokovic at a grand slam tournament and underlined why many believe he is one of the sport’s future superstars.
Djokovic was gracious in defeat.
‘I told him that he deserved to win and he should be proud of himself,’ Djokovic said.
‘We’ve all seen today why there is hype around him.
‘Without a doubt he was a better player in important moments.’
The double upset means the 2026 French Open men’s title will be won by a player other than Djokovic, Sinner or Alcaraz for the first time in years.
And after a chaotic day on the Paris clay, the race for the Coupe des Mousquetaires is suddenly anyone’s to win.
