‘Because of His Physique, He’s Getting Older’ – João Fonseca Takes a Subtle Dig at Novak Djokovic’s 4-Game Proposal

Novak Djokovic recently caused a stir by sharing a controversial tennis opinion that he believed was “best for everyone.” Among his proposals was a revamp of the scoring system, with players needing to win four games per set instead of the traditional six. To keep matches under two hours, he also suggested eliminating deuce altogether, with games being decided by a single deciding point at 40-40 instead of playing through advantage.

Djokovic’s comments were met with playful ridicule from João Fonseca, who recently defeated the Serb in a five-set thriller.

João Fonseca Teases Novak Djokovic Over Scoring Revamp Suggestion

Fonseca is presently competing at the 2026 Canadian Open. Following a first-round bye, the 22 seed has earned a 7-6(3), 7-5 win against Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the third round. Djokovic has, meanwhile, skipped the event to rest and recover after his run to the semifinals of Wimbledon.

Interestingly, the 39-year-old has contested just five tournaments this season, three of which were Grand Slams. At the Australian Open, he reached his 11 final, where he was beaten in four sets by Carlos Alcaraz. At the French Open, meanwhile, the three-time champion suffered a narrow five-set defeat to Fonseca following a brutal third-round match that lasted four hours and 53 minutes.

Djokovic then advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals after edging Felix Auger-Aliassime in a grueling five-set quarterfinal that stretched to five hours and 15 minutes and was decided by a final-set tiebreak. Despite having a two-day break, the Serb appeared to be carrying the effects of that exhausting encounter and was beaten in straight sets by Jannik Sinner.

So, when Djokovic floated the new format idea during a recent interaction with Nick Coutracos at Fanatics Fest, the tennis community wasn’t entirely convinced. Asked about the proposal during his Canadian Open press conference, João Fonseca responded with a laugh:

“Well, I had a good time playing 4 games, 4-game sets, in the Next Gen. So I can’t complain about it. But I think he’s saying that because of his physique, you know. He’s getting older. Well, that’s what I can say.”

The Next Gen ATP Finals, which showcases the best ATP players aged 20 and under, has long been a testing ground for experimental formats, including first-to-four games and best-of-five-set matches. Fonseca, the 2024 champion, nevertheless believes that the traditional six-game sets and best-of-five-set format at Grand Slams remain vital to preserving tennis’ identity.

“I mean, I don’t say bad things or good things, but I know it’s more about the classic tennis, the history of tennis, and the tennis being six games during the sets; it’s important. I think it’s classic tennis. It’s the history of tennis. So, yeah. But I can’t complain because I had good results with it,” he said.

MORE: ‘Did You Think Like This 20 Years Ago?’ – Kim Clijsters Pushes Back on Novak Djokovic’s Four-Game Set Idea

19-year-old Fonseca, who is chasing his third career title in Montréal, faces a challenging opponent in Casper Ruud in the third round on Friday, August 7. Djokovic, meanwhile, plans to resume his campaign at the Cincinnati Open next week.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.