Latest / Bleacher Report / João Fonseca Talks Win vs. Novak Djokovic & Relationship With His Mother | Roland-Garros 2026

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João Fonseca Talks Win vs. Novak Djokovic & Relationship With His Mother | Roland-Garros 2026 · Bleacher Report

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: It was an epic, It was a masterpiece. It was
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: an honor to watch Joel fon Seka is here right
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: now after taking down Novak Djokovic and in this incredible moment, John,
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: can you believe what he said to.
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: Our unbelievable match. Dude, you captivated us, you captivated the world,
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: and we're sitting here watching your postmatch interview and you
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: mentioned my name.
• 0:24
  Speaker 3: John, I feel a human for the first time they did. Ass. Yeah,
• 0:29
  Speaker 3: I mean, what a what a way for me to
• 0:31
  Speaker 3: finish for me? Is it's rare to come some ass
• 0:36
  Speaker 3: and uh and yeah, I mean crazy way to finish
• 0:39
  Speaker 3: for me. And what a match?
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: For sure, unbelievable match. What is a legend like Novak
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: Djokovic meant to you as a young kid growing up
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: of course watching him on TV all these years.
• 0:52
  Speaker 3: Well, for sure, crazy experience for me. I mean was
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: difficulties leave plus night. Uh, to be honest, and step
• 1:00
  Speaker 3: you on court was the first time hitting again with
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: him that we never practiced never and uh yeah, I
• 1:07
  Speaker 3: already already told them the interviews. Like for me, it
• 1:10
  Speaker 3: was just a pleasure just step you on court. And
• 1:13
  Speaker 3: I was just trying to be grateful and just play
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: my best. And after the second sage was not believing
• 1:22
  Speaker 3: at all of my game and he was like destroying me.
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: And I think when I when I want the third set,
• 1:28
  Speaker 3: I started believing a little bit, but I just focused
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: point by point and match my match. But Djokovic is
• 1:34
  Speaker 3: for sure and idol for this sport. I mean him
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: and Roger. I'm a Roger fan, but I know Djokovic
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: is the goat and uh but I wish could be Roger,
• 1:46
  Speaker 3: but I mean it's live and uh but yeah, for sure,
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: it was amazing experience. I'm just very grateful just for
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: for Thisay. It was difficult to realize when I finished,
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: like did I really want? And for me, I was
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: like fifth, I was just not thinking at all. I
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: just just played and uh, you know, just very happy
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: speaking of that fifth set.
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: Late in that fifth set, at five all you played
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: a handful of drop shot winners. That's what led to
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: the break. Was that something you noticed that Novak was
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: getting a little tired and you wanted to play the
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: drop shot to try to work his legs a little more.
• 2:24
  Speaker 3: I actually saw I did some deep returns and uh,
• 2:27
  Speaker 3: and he was saying very close, like very back like
• 2:32
  Speaker 3: five three meters to the back of the court to
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  Speaker 3: the baseline and and uh and I did some great
• 2:39
  Speaker 3: drop shots. For me, it was really important. But for
• 2:43
  Speaker 3: sure I felt he was a little bit more tired
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: and uh, you know, I was really important points.
• 2:51
  Speaker 4: And you had a moment at the end of the match.
• 2:53
  Speaker 4: You were very emotional with your team. Can you just
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: tell us what that meant. We got to watch it
• 3:00
  Speaker 4: ourselves and it really just touched us. And having played
• 3:05
  Speaker 4: all all of us here, it really just hit home,
• 3:08
  Speaker 4: is what this feeling is. Can you just describe it
• 3:11
  Speaker 4: for us?
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: It's it's crazy. I mean, these two guys three, we
• 3:17
  Speaker 3: know what we've been through. We know well we go
• 3:21
  Speaker 3: through an all year. For me, it's just my second
• 3:24
  Speaker 3: year as a probe. But a lot of things change
• 3:26
  Speaker 3: from now and and only we know how to handle
• 3:30
  Speaker 3: with expectations, with thinkings and believing yourself. And you know,
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: it was tough beginning of the year for me, struggling
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: a little bit of injuries and after a Grade twenty
• 3:43
  Speaker 3: twenty five for me was it was difficult to I
• 3:47
  Speaker 3: mean this time I was just like, can I do it?
• 3:50
  Speaker 3: I think I can I do better than last year?
• 3:54
  Speaker 3: Can I keep continuing this for like ten years and
• 3:57
  Speaker 3: and and struggle a little bit in the beginning of
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: a clay season as well. And uh, and I just
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: felt great, not only this match but against Prismik, winning
• 4:06
  Speaker 3: my first time a fifth set, coming to such to Zeran.
• 4:11
  Speaker 3: Now for me, it was has been a super important week,
• 4:15
  Speaker 3: not only career wise, but like personal and and I'm
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: very happy for these two weeks for sure.
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: Congratulations Joel. You mentioned your mom in your on court
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: interview after the match.
• 4:26
  Speaker 4: She wished her happy birthday.
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: How much has she been involved in your tennis career
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: thus far?
• 4:32
  Speaker 3: Well, she always tries to be uh for now, she
• 4:37
  Speaker 3: loves sports. I mean she was a vulnerable player, but
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: nowadays she's almost like a tennis player, you know. She
• 4:43
  Speaker 3: she plays twice a day every day. And uh, and yeah,
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: it's it's really special to have her here. Both of
• 4:52
  Speaker 3: my parents. They they love being around and visit some
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: new places and uh, just traveling and uh, but yeah,
• 5:00
  Speaker 3: in the beginning it was only me and her. We
• 5:02
  Speaker 3: only traveled together since eleven years old. And and she
• 5:06
  Speaker 3: always had been a good luck charm and she always
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: like has been there to support me. And uh in
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: any time and the difficult moments good moments, and uh,
• 5:18
  Speaker 3: you know, it's a special day. And yeah, she actually
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: told texting me a message in the beginning of the
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: day that just step on Core today and it's gonna
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: be my my gift for today. And and I I
• 5:33
  Speaker 3: called her in the end of the match and happy
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: Earth Day, mom, And it was a good moment for sure.
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: I think you gave her a great present.
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: Just to wrap it up, you said last night you
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: couldn't sleep out of anticipation. What's it going to be
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: like when you lay down tonight.
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: I'm going to sleep. I'm going to sleep well, I
• 5:52
  Speaker 3: mean I'm a little tired, but but yeah, good rest
• 5:56
  Speaker 3: tomorrow and and hopefully on Sunday we are back and
• 6:00
  Speaker 3: you wake up.
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: Guess what, this wasn't a dream real for Congratulations, Congratulations,
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: incredible congratulations to everybody. Thank you guys so much. M HM.