Novak Djokovic has battled his way into the third round of Roland Garros, where he will take on Joao Fonseca.
The highly anticipated encounter will see the 39-year-old meet the 19-year-old Brazilian for the very first time in their ATP careers.
It is also the first time Djokovic will play a non-French player at Roland Garros this year, having beaten Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Valentin Royer so far.
He defeated the former 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 and the latter 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(7-9), 6-3, with John McEnroe now sharing his verdict on his fellow legend after that second round win.
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John McEnroe rates Novak Djokovic’s level at Roland Garros
As quoted by TNT Sports, McEnroe said: “I think his level is pretty high.
“He should have won in the third set and sort of blew that but he regrouped.
“Explain to me how this guy does it when he doesn’t play at all between majors?
“He comes out and it’s as if he didn’t miss a beat.
“I know he doesn’t care much about the other tournaments anymore but it feels like you have to play some of them, but for him he doesn’t have to… he’s defying time.”
The match itself represented a stunning achievement for Djokovic, who made his 120th appearance at Roland Garros, the most a player has appeared in a single Grand Slam event in the Open Era.
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Novak Djokovic answers all of Boris Becker’s questions
Their fellow icon Boris Becker shared a similar verdict following the match, with the German delighted for the player he used to coach.
“Before the tournament, I was already a bit worried about my friend and whether he could maintain his form at all,” he said.
“He had barely played any tournaments, barely any matches.
“Throughout the clay-court season, he only played one match – and even lost that in the first round in Rome.
“The last tournament where he looked really good was Indian Wells in March.
“But if there’s one player who can do it at Grand Slams, it’s always Djokovic.
“His opponent, Royer, also played very well.
“They were out there for three-and-a-half hours in the heat.
“All the questions I had beforehand, he answered today.”
| Year | Opponent | Score |
| 2016 | Andy Murray | 3–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 2021 | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 6–7(6–8), 2–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–4 |
| 2023 | Casper Ruud | 7–6(7–1), 6–3, 7–5 |
It was indeed another tricky test for Djokovic, but the veteran used all of his ability and experience to get the job done.
And the run does not get any easier, with Fonseca awaiting in round three after his wins over Luka Pavlovic and Dino Prizmic.
Incidentally, Prizmic was the man who defeated Djokovic in his only clay-court match of 2026 ahead of Roland Garros, winning their second round meeting in Rome.
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