PARIS, FRANCE – MAY 29: Joao Fonseca (R) of Brazil greets Novak Djokovic of Serbia after their Men’s Singles Third Round match during Day six of the 2026 French Open at Roland Garros on May 29, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)
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Jannik Sinner won’t be completing the career Grand Slam at Roland Garros.
And Novak Djokovic won’t be winning his record 25th major title in Paris, either.
Instead, with both men now out of the draw on successive days in five-set upsets, some man will win his first major title on June 7 in Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Sinner, Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have won the last 15 straight Slams, and Sinner and Alcaraz the last nine.
But with all three men now absent (Alcaraz is out with a wrist injury), Alexander Zverev remains the overwhelming favorite at 41%, according to the Kalshi prediction market,
Casper Ruud, a two-time French Open finalist who came from two sets down to beat American Tommy Paul on Friday, is second at 14% and 19-year Spaniard Rafael Jódar is third at 12%,
Zverev is 0-3 in major finals, including losing the 2024 final to Alcaraz after leading two sets to one, and is seeking his first major title.
Djokovic, meantime, is touting the 20-year-old Fonseca as a future major winner.
“He definitely has the potential,” Djokovic said after losing in five sets, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5. “The talent he’s got… The firepower… The whole Brazilian nation cheering him on. Hopefully he can be the next great thing and win Slams.”
As for losing for just the second time in a major after being up two sets, Djokovic gave full credit to Fonseca.
“You just have to say well done and congratulate him,” he said. “Hats off. He just played lights out tennis. Every time there was a decisive moment he went for it.”
Fonseca is into the fourth round of a major for the first time and will next face Ruud, the 2022 and ’23 runner-up who most recently reached the Rome final before losing to Sinner.
“Well it’s my first fourth round of a Slam in my career,” Fonseca said. “I’m just thinking about my next match. The guys are still playing. And for now I’m just enjoying the moment. Just 10 minutes after the match I could realize a little bit what I did. What I achieved. How difficult it was. How amazing it was for me. 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 and Casper. I’m just focusing match by match. For me it was a great achievement. Just being able to play my first Round of 16.. I’m just gonna enjoy the moment.”
Fonseca has now come back from two sets down in each of his last two matches after playing just one five-setter before Paris.
“My team gets questioned a lot,” he said. “The pressure on them is huge because people have a bit of prejudice, a bit of bias against Brazilians. That’s their problem, not mine. I believe in my coaches.”
While Fonseca and Ruud remain alive for their first major title, Sinner and Djokovic now will prepare for the grass courts and Wimbledon, which runs June 29-July 12.
ELEVEN AMERICANS REACH THIRD ROUND
Six American men have advanced to the third round of the French Open singles draw, the most since 1993, when seven U.S. players reached that stage. Learner Tien, Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, Brandon Nakashima, Alex Michelsen and Zachary Svajda all won their second-round matches to reach the third round.
And that’s after the two top-ranked American men, No. 5 Ben Shelton and No. 7 Taylor Fritz, lost.
Combined with the five U.S. women reaching the third round at Roland Garros (Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, Iva Jovic, Madison Keys and Peyton Stearns), 11 total Americans have reached the third round.
This marks the fifth time in the last six years that 10 or more U.S. players have reached the round of 32 at the French Open. Between 1998-2020, the total number of Americans reaching the third round at Roland Garros only reached double digits once (11, 2003).