A champion is born, not made.. The true reflection of that is Novak Djokovic. At just turned 39 years old, with nothing to prove, with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, retiredthe Serbian continues to play with the ambition of a rookie on the professional circuit.
However, it is not enough to win over the new generation. He has not beaten Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the Grand Slam for two years and he has not been able to beat Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner this Friday either. Joao Fonseca, his executioner in the third round of Roland Garros, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 and 7-5, in 4 hours and 53 minutes.
Djokovic has taken a knee against Fonseca, 19 years younger than himand has not been able to reach the second round of the French Internationals for the twentieth time.
With the battery of illusion charged after the early defeat of Jannik Sinner against Juan Manuel CerúndoloNole was able to win the first two sets with relative sufficiency.
Djokovic doesn’t care that the 16,000 people who filled the Philippe Chatrier were against him (except for the members of his bench) and having arrived in Paris with the only filming of a match on land. It was in his debut in Rome and ended in defeat with the Croatian Dino Prizmic.
He asked heaven for divine help to do it again, to once again demonstrate that there is no other like him.. He refuses to give in to the new generation of players, those born in 2006. But he fell again. His strength failed again.
With 6-5 down in the fifth set, Fonseca finalized his place in the round of 16 with three aces. “I have never finished a game like this“, he acknowledged at the conclusion.
Now wait for the winner of the duel between Casper Ruud and Tommy Paul. What is certain is that Roland Garros will have a new champion and that Novak will try again on the Wimbledon grass.
