Brazil’s Joao Fonseca in action in his fourth round victory over Norway’s Casper Ruud at the 2026 French Open on 31 May, 2026. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP)
Photo: DIMITAR DILKOFF
Brazilian teen sensation Joao Fonseca continued his breakthrough French Open campaign by seeing off twice runner-up and 15th seed Casper Ruud 7-5 7-6(8) 5-7 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time.
The 19-year-old fought from two sets down to knock out Novak Djokovic in the third round and emerge as a genuine contender in a topsy-turvy tournament, and his latest victory highlighted his growing confidence and composure on the biggest stage in Paris.
Playing on Court Philippe Chatrier again, Fonseca sparkled under the lights with some spectacular ball-striking from both flanks and broke in the 12th game to wrap up the first set and draw huge applause from fans.
After an early exchange of breaks in the second set, Fonseca and Ruud were locked in a titanic tussle of power hitting, until the Norwegian squandered three set points and allowed his young opponent to edge an electric tiebreak.
It left Brazilian three-times Roland Garros champion Gustavo Kuerten beaming as a raucous crowd roared, but Ruud was not done and snatched the third set to ensure the entertaining encounter would trickle into the early hours of Monday morning.
Fonseca raised his level again in the fourth, claiming a double break as the atmosphere reached football-like intensity, before world number 30 closed out another famous victory.
He’ll face 2026 ASB Classic champion Czech Jakub Mensik in the last eight, after Mensik outlasted Andrey Rublev 6-3, 7-6(8), 4-6, 2-6, 6-3 in 3 hours and 45 minutes.
The other confirmed quarter final will feature Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who beat the Netherlands Jesper De Jong in straight sets, against Rafael Jodar, who beat Spanish compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta in five sets.
In women’s action, Iga Swiatek said tension got the better of her as her campaign unravelled in a fourth-round defeat by Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.
The effects were evident as Swiatek’s level dipped in the second set of her 7-5 6-1 defeat, sealing her earliest exit from Paris since her debut campaign in 2019.
Poland’s Iga Swiatek in action in her fourth round defeat to Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk at the 2026 French Open. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)
Photo: JULIEN DE ROSA
It was a 25th birthday to forget for Swiatek, who has not lifted a claycourt title since her 2024 French Open triumph, and the Pole was clear why she was beaten comprehensively by 15th seed Kostyuk.
“I lost control of the match, and there was no way to come back, because I felt worse and worse. This isn’t positive, and this is different than losing to Elina Svitolina in Rome or to Mirra Andreeva in Stuttgart,” Swiatek told reporters.
Kostyuk will face compatriot Elina Svitolina, this year’s women’s ASB Classic champion, in the quarter finals, after she beat Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in three sets.
And there was delight for Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea who proved that dreams have no expiry date as she beat China’s Wang Xinyu 6-3 7-6(4) to reach her first Roland Garros quarter-final in 17 years.
“I have so much passion for this sport,” said the 36-year-old Cirstea, who will retire at the end of the season.
“I absolutely love tennis and to be able to still play at this level, have my family, my team, the closest people watching me. It’s an absolute joy.”
Cirstea will meet 19-year-old Mirra Andreeva in that quarter final, after she beat Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann in straight sets.
– Reuters