Joao Fonseca followed a headline-making third-round victory over Novak Djokovic with another major statement at Roland Garros, defeating two-time finalist Casper Ruud in four hours and minus four minutes of drama, 7-5, 7-6 (8), 5-7, 6-2. The 19-year-old Brazilian, already one of the tournament’s most talked-about young players, is now one of two teenagers through to the quarterfinals alongside Rafael Jodar.

Fonseca’s path here included a remarkable comeback against Djokovic, becoming just the second man to beat Djokovic at Roland Garros after dropping the first two sets, a mark previously set by Jurgen Melzer in 2010. On Sunday he traded heavy forehands and long rallies with the 27-year-old clay specialist before pulling away late. The final numbers underscored how close the contest was: each man finished with 51 winners and an identical 52 errors. Fonseca’s backhand, however, proved the decisive edge in several key moments.

Asked about his versatility in a post-match interview with Mats Wilander, Fonseca said: “It’s more like heart, or mind, I don’t know, I just try to be me on the court. Try to be happy, try to hit winners, try to hit good shots, try to be entertainment … try to be me, and that’s what it is.”

Those words echoed across a week that also drew the attention of Gustavo Kuerten, who watched the match and appeared pleased with the way Fonseca is building on a Brazilian legacy. Fonseca is a 6-foot-2 right-hander with notable power and a broad set of weapons; his temperament and shotmaking have become a central part of his rise.

The run here follows a turbulent sophomore season: a nagging back injury that affected his off-season preparation, an early Australian Open exit and a 1-3 record heading into Indian Wells. He has been careful about expectations, saying in Monte Carlo, “I think the expectations are going to come. People see young players doing great things, and they pull us into the top of the rankings. People need time. Everyone has their own time, so I want to do my history. I hope I’ll be there competing against them [top players], but people need to understand that I need time to become what they want me to do and I want to become.”

Fonseca’s run now brings fresh comparisons and cautions; Jim Courier advised, “Be careful of that hangover.” Still, after five-set wins over Dino Prizmic and Djokovic and Sunday’s victory over Ruud, Fonseca’s immediate problem is simple: maintain the level that has taken him this far. I just try to be me on the court. Try to be happy, try to hit winners, try to hit good shots, try to be entertainment … and that’s what it is. Joao Fonseca

Roland Garros has imposed a $65,000 fine on Paraguayan Adolfo Daniel Vallejo after comments he made about the chair umpire following his second-round match.

The 22-year-old, ranked 71st, lost a nearly five-hour, five-set match to 17-year-old Frenchman Moise Kouame. Vallejo led 5-2 in the fifth set before the contest was decided in a tiebreaker. After the match he criticized Brazil’s Ana Carvalho, saying she was not strong enough to handle the partisan crowd and that such a match “has to be refereed by a man.”

“It’s a very demanding crowd and you need a lot of strength to go against the crowd,” he told Spanish-language outlet Clay. “The crowd was very out of line, but I understand they’re supporting their compatriot. It’s quite an intense crowd and that’s why I was prepared; I already knew it would be like that and, to be honest, it didn’t harm me, but rather strengthened him.”

Roland Garros and the French Tennis Federation called the remarks “unacceptable” and said Vallejo would receive a “significant sanction.” “The competence of an umpire is not determined by their gender, but by their professionalism and ability to officiate at the highest level,” the statement read. “The outcome of a sporting event, whether positive or negative, can never justify or excuse such remarks.”

Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo told reporters the fine was “representing roughly half of his prize money.” Organizers noted that players reaching the second round at the French Open receive 130,000 euros ($151,000) and later clarified that the fine was $65,000, not euros. “This is clearly unacceptable,” Mauresmo said. “Once again, such remarks have no place here.”

Vallejo subsequently said his comments had been misrepresented and issued an apology on social media. “my comments were not meant in the way they have been understood.” “I have respect for the umpire and for the job they do, after a [five-hour] battle I was very heated and with a lot of emotions, I apologize,” Vallejo wrote on Instagram late on Friday. “I also want to clarify that I didn’t blame the lost [sic] on her, she did a good job throughout the whole match.”

Court Philippe Chatrier grew restless as Diane Parry threatened a comeback, but Maja Chwalinska steadied herself and closed the match with composed variety. Leading 6-3, 2-2, Chwalinska faced a break point when Parry ripped a forehand to the corner. The 5-foot-5 lefty, whose spinny serve does not produce many free points, responded with tactical precision.

“This is what they’ve been waiting for,” Mary Joe Fernandez said of the French audience. “She’s so close to finding the formula,” Mark Petchey said of Parry.

Chwalinska, pronounced, roughly, “waleenska,” saved that break point by landing a high ball to Parry’s one-handed backhand and forcing an error. She then shifted through a range of strokes: inventive two-handed backhand chips and curving slices crosscourt, delicate drop shots that landed inches from the net, and high, heavy forehands that kept Parry off balance. She mixed pace and spin on nearly every exchange and cut her errors to just four in the second set. Chwalinska did not drop another game and finished with a 6-3, 6-2 victory to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

“It’s definitely a big surprise for me,” Chwalinska said of her run. Coming to Paris, she was ranked 114th and had to qualify for the main draw. She acknowledged the constraints of her game and the adjustments she has made: “I know that I’m playing different tennis, than most of the girls on tour. I don’t have the [physicality] to play strong, so I need to develop a different kind of weapons for myself. I definitely played differently, and I think it helps me a lot against these players.”

Her return to form follows a break from the sport in 2021 and a more forgiving mindset after she came back in 2022. “I’m not as strict with myself,” she said. “I don’t punish myself. I try to control my monologue. Before, when I hit a bad forehand, I would tell myself, ‘I suck, I really suck.’ Easy things to say, but when you repeat them, it gets really overwhelming.”

She laughed about practical realities in Paris: “You guys know we get the check after the tournament.” Chwalinska is 24-9 this year, has had promising 125-level results in 2026 and will break into the Top 100 next week. On Wednesday she will face 24th-ranked Anna Kalinskaya; the pair have never met. Her run is a reminder that second chances on tour can still produce new breakthroughs.