With neither Jannik Sinner nor Carlos Alcaraz standing in his path, Novak Djokovic arrived at his French Open third-round clash sensing a golden opening for Grand Slam No. 25. Two sets ahead against Joao Fonseca, the Serbian GOAT seemed firmly on course for another deep Roland Garros run. But a fierce comeback from the Brazilian wonderkid derailed his plan as Djokovic’s return to Paris next year hangs over a far harsher reality than many expected.

“I don’t know,” said Novak Djokovic during his post-match press conference when he was asked whether he would return to Roland Garros next year. Moments later, Djokovic was again asked if he was prepared for the possibility that this could have been his final appearance at the French Open following his loss to Joao Fonseca. Once again, the Serbian gave the same response: “I don’t know.”

Even after the defeat, when Novak was already walking off the court, from the commentary, Jim Courier on TNT even doubted if we were ever going to see him back in Paris. “Will we see him back?… unlikely,” he said with sadness in his voice.

The Serbian, who celebrated his 39th birthday a day before his French Open campaign, has repeatedly stressed that Grand Slams remain his biggest motivation to return.

Even after last year’s US Open, after being defeated by Carlos Alcaraz at the semis, Djokovic made it clear that he was not ready to move away from chasing major titles. “I’m not giving up on Grand Slams in that regard, having said that. I’m going to continue fighting and trying to get to the finals and fight for another trophy at least,” he said.

There were already questions surrounding his future in Paris before this year’s tournament began. Last year, after losing to Jannik Sinner in straight sets in the semis, Djokovic kissed the clay at Roland Garros, leaving many wondering if it was a farewell gesture. Yet he returned once again. 

However, his preparation was far from ideal, though, as he entered Roland Garros having played just one match at the Italian Open, where he suffered a defeat to Dino Prižmić in the R64.

This latest loss at the French Open has now added another unwanted statistic to his remarkable record. Before this defeat, Novak had not exited Roland Garros before the QF since 2009, when he also lost in the 3rd round.

His consistency in Paris has been extraordinary. The Serbian had reached at least the QF in 19 of his previous 21 appearances at the tournament

But perhaps the most surprising number of all is that this defeat marked only the second time in his career that he had lost a match after leading by two sets. The only other occasion came in 2010, when Jurgen Melzer produced a stunning comeback in the QF. 

And while Djokovic will undoubtedly be gutted by the defeat against Fonseca, he has also identified the key factors that he believes ultimately cost him the match.

Novak Djokovic admits he ran out of gas against Fonseca

Since winning his last Grand Slam title in the 2023 US Open, Novak Djokovic has repeatedly faced difficulties in best-of-five-set matches. In 2025, the Serbian managed to reach the semis at every Grand Slam tournament he played. However, he was unable to take the final step and reach a championship match.

The same goal followed him into this season. Djokovic arrived at the AO determined to chase a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title.

For a while, that dream looked possible. But season progressed, he struggled to match the physical intensity required to win against the younger generation. Following his US Open defeat, Djokovic openly spoke about the challenge of competing against the sport’s new dominant forces.

“It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner, Alcaraz, in the best-of-five on the Grand Slams. I think I have a better chance [in] best-of-three,” he admitted.

On Saturday, against 19-year-old Joao Fonseca, Djokovic once again appeared to be fighting not only his opponent but also the realities of age and endurance.

“It would be nice if it was best of three!” Nole admitted. “But it’s not… Yeah, I just ran out of gas, to be honest. I didn’t feel good at all on the court in the last couple of sets.”

The Serbian also pointed to a crucial moment late in the match when he still had a chance to regain control. “I think the end of the fourth was my chance, 4-3, 15-40, he just played really good points, he was attacking, big serves… When I look back, in important moments, could I have done something different? You can always say yes, but you just have to say ‘Well done’, congratulate him, hats off,” he said after losing the match 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 in nearly five hours.

Now that his Roland Garros campaign has come to an early end, attention shifts to Wimbledon. Can Djokovic rediscover his best tennis on the grass courts of Wimbledon and finally capture that elusive 25th Grand Slam title before he turns 40? Only time will tell.