Novak Djokovic will face his toughest test yet at Roland Garros in the third round: Joao Fonseca.
The Serb, in pursuit of a record-extending 25th major title, has enjoyed a strong start to his campaign in Paris.
Djokovic beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round before overcoming another Frenchman in the form of Valentin Royer.
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The Serb made the semifinals in 2025…
Now, he’ll face Fonseca for the first time ever at a tour-level event, with the Brazilian looking to reach his first Grand Slam fourth round.
Djokovic enters the bout as the favourite, but the order of play announcement for Friday may have just given the teenager an advantage.
The order of play on Friday at Roland Garros
The conditions at Roland Garros this year have been brutal so far, with blistering heat causing all sorts of problems for players.
Djokovic played his first match of the tournament in the night session, and his second in the first slot, but now he’ll be playing at the hottest part of the day.
First on Court Philippe Chatrier will be Iga Swiatek’s match against Magda Linette, followed by Mirra Andreeva versus Marie Bouzkova.
Alexander Zverev’s clash with Frenchman Quentin Halys will take place in the night session, but at around 3:30 pm, Djokovic will face Fonseca.
What was the biggest shock from the first round of Roland Garros this year?
Djokovic dealt with the heat well against Royer, but the conditions will be tougher versus Fonseca.
The 19-year-old showed how well he can cope with the heat on Wednesday by coming back from two-sets down in his match with Dino Prizmic.
Joao Fonseca’s campaign at the French Open so far
Fonseca kicked off his run in Paris with a straight-sets win over home hope Luka Pavlovic.
He looked like he was on his way out when faced with Prizmic in the second round, who took a commanding two-set lead in their match.
But Fonseca showed immense determination and fought his way back into the contest to win 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.
Fonseca’s best Grand Slam result is a third-round finish, which he achieved at both the French Open and Wimbledon in 2025.
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