Novak Djokovic had an intense on-court moment during his French Open match with Joao Fonseca.
World No. 4 and 24-time Grand Slam champ Novak Djokovic found himself in a tense moment during his third-round French Open match against Joao Fonseca.
Just a day after World No. 1 Jannik Sinner unexpectedly lost, Djokovic took to the court against Brazil’s 28th seed Fonseca. Djokovic had already beaten two French players, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Valentin Royer, in the first two rounds.
He started strong, winning the first two sets 6-4, 6-4, but looked a bit irritated throughout the match. Last time he played Royer, the French crowd clearly supported their player, which got under Djokovic’s skin. He even asked the umpire to tell the crowd to “have some respect” after some heckling during his serve.
On Friday (May 29), Djokovic’s frustration was aimed at a courtside cameraman between the second and third sets. When the cameraman moved in for a closer shot, Djokovic snapped, “Can you come more in my face? For God’s sake, make some space!” After that, the cameraman was reportedly replaced.
Former Andy Murray coach and commentator Miles Maclagan shared his thoughts live on TNT Sports and seemed to understand Djokovic’s reaction. “The cameraman was just a bit too close for Djokovic,” he said. “You can see why. It’s a hot day and he needed some breathing room.”
Another commentator, Nick Mullins, added, “I’ve been watching the poor cameraman who got a bit of a hard time from Novak after Novak got a bit of a hard time from the cameraman’s lens. Cedric Mourier, one of the assistant referees, had to remind the cameraman about the right distance. That cameraman has now been swapped out for another.”
Heat has been a big challenge at this year’s French Open. Jakub Mensik called it “insane” to keep playing after he collapsed on court in 32-degree Celsius heat on Wednesday (May 27). Djokovic has suggested matches start later in the day when the conditions are cooler.
After beating Royer in the second round, Djokovic said, “Playing a three-and-a-half-hour match on clay is really tough, especially in this heat. I used a lot of energy today in difficult conditions. It was my fault for not finishing in straight sets because I was ahead twice in the third. I got a bit passive, and he took his chances with the crowd behind him.”