The French Open has already produced its fair share of unforgettable moments when it comes to underdogs rising to the occasion. But one of the most touching scenes unfolded away from the final scoreline. No. 85-ranked ATP Pro Zachary Svajda, who went past the third round on Saturday, paid an emotional tribute to his father, which garnered the attention of Novak Djokovic.

“Congratulations Zach! You deserve it,” wrote Djokovic on Instagram comments. “Your dad is watching, and he is smiling ❤️”

Novak Djokovic has always been one to support and encourage young guns. Hence, his comments on Zachary Svajda’s aren’t random. On Saturday, Svajda came out on Court 14 to face No. 25-seeded Francisco Cerundolo. Considering the rankings, Cerundolo stood as the undeniable favorite. However, the American had other plans for the match.

After a gritty five-set clash, Svajda emerged as the victor with the scoreline 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3. The win also marked the 23-year-old star’s first time entry in the fourth round of a Grand Slam. For Svajda, the victory meant more than just a milestone. In a heartfelt post on his Instagram handle, the American tennis star expressed what the win meant for him.

“Happy Birthday Dad ❤️I know you’re watching from above 🙏🏼,” he captioned the post.

Zachary Svajda’s father, Tom, was a highly respected tennis coach at the Pacific Beach Tennis Club in San Diego. However, in 2024, he was diagnosed with late-stage colon cancer after experiencing sudden weight loss and pain. After battling the illness for roughly a year, Tom passed away in October 2025, at the age of 60.

For Svajda, his father was seemingly everything for him. In fact, the 23-year-old star even started his tennis career under Tom while building the foundational pillar. Notably, just a month before his father’s demise, Svajda played against Djokovic in the second round of the US Open.

Svajda shocked Djokovic by beating him 7-6 in the opening set. However, later, the Serbian comfortably cruised through the American by winning the subsequent sets 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. Djokovic was quite impressed and even commended the 23-year-old’s grit as he continued the match despite leg cramps.

Watching that same Svajda cruising through the third round of the 2026 French Open, the 24-time Grand Slam champion applauded his efforts. Now, on Monday, Svajda will face No. 10-seeded Flavio Cobolli. And it will be interesting to see if the American star can continue the momentum. Meanwhile, Svajda is not the only player whom Djokovic has praised.

Novak Djokovic wishes “best of luck” to 19-year-old French Open star

The 2026 French Open has produced numerous upsets so far. Novak Djokovic, who entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed, also had his fate turned around unexpectedly. 19-year-old Joao Fonseca stood as the kryptonite to neutralize the three-time Roland Garros champion.

On Friday, Djokovic and Fonseca faced each other at Philippe-Chatrier in a competitive five-set contest. Being the favorite, the Serbian legend dominated the 19-year-old star in the opening two sets. But following that came a major turnaround. Fonseca struck back by winning the subsequent rounds and took him out 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5.

Despite the setback, the 24-time Grand Slam champion was all praises for Fonseca. To that end, he even wished the best for the Brazilian in matches to come.

“An epic battle, Joao,” wrote Djokovic on X. “And a hard-fought victory you deserve. Best of luck for the rest of the tournament and the incredible career you have ahead of you. As for Paris… tu as mon coeur 🫶🏼”

For Fonseca, it was his first time facing Djokovic. However, as an underdog, the Brazilian gave his absolute best to defeat the legend, making it a dream come true for him.

“Goosebumps,” wrote Fonseca in an Instagram post. “An honor and a dream come true to share the court with a legend like @djokernole for the first time. 🙏🏻 Today I left everything out there on the court and enjoyed every single second. Keep believing! ⏭️”

On Sunday, Joao Fonseca will come out to face the No. 15-seeded Casper Ruud in his fourth-round match. While Fonseca is on a dream French Open run, Ruud has eyes set on his first Grand Slam title. On that note, it will be interesting to see who comes out as the victor.