Just two days after registering his maiden win over a top 10 player, Joao Fonseca was abruptly brought back down to earth in the second round of the Australian Open.
The 18-year-old has established himself as one of the most in-form players on the men’s Tour this season after claiming a Challenger title in Canberra, storming through three rounds of qualifying at the Australian Open without dropping a set and then defeating Andrey Rublev in the first round. His latest win generated praise from some of the sport’s biggest names, including Novak Djokovic.
However, Fonseca’s Australian Open fairytale came to an end on Thursday with a 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, loss to Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego in what was his first five-set match. On paper, he was the underdog given the fact he is ranked more than 50 places lower than this rival. However, he still had high expectations given his recent form and past win over Sonego.
“I think after the battle against Rublev, the expectations got bigger,” Fonseca reflected during his press conference.
“People said a little bit more about Joao. My expectations were also bigger.
“I was more nervous than the match against Rublev and I already had a win against Sonego.
“I think the experience was the big difference today.”
Experience without a doubt played a part for the teenager who was bidding to become the youngest man to reach the last 32 at Melbourne Park since Bernard Tomic in 2011. He has an explosive game that delights fans with winners but it also opens him up for more mistakes. Against Sonego, he hit 40 unforced errors alongside 40 winners.
“I think when you play five sets, the experience, it’s different. They know better when to put intense (play). There’s going to be ups and downs during the match.” He reflected.
“I need to have more experience on this. I need to work more to stay mentally focused during the whole match and need to be prepared for this. I think that was the big difference to play a Grand Slam.”
Whilst there is plenty of room for improvement, Fonseca’s recent achievements are something that brings plenty of interest and hope for his native Brazil. A country that has had only one Grand Slam singles champion in the Open Era. That was Gustavo Kuerten, who won the French Open three times during his career.
This enthusiasm is best illustrated through Fonseca’s Instagram account where he has gained thousands of followers this week and currently has a following of 650,000. To put that into perspective, Beatriz Haddad Maia has a following of 458,000 and she is Brazil’s top-ranked female player.
“It’s such a nice thing about the Brazilians. When we see some Brazilians doing well in sports, we like to cheer. It’s a cultural thing.” Fonseca said of the support he has been receiving in Melbourne.
“They make a lot of noise. I love playing with the crowd. It’s such a nice thing.
“They really helped me to stay focused in this match mentally. I didn’t get the win, but I want to thank them for the support.”
The future is very bright for Fonseca, who is a former junior world No.1 and US Open boy’s champion. His challenge now will be trying to live up to the hype that is surrounding him. Something he is willing to embrace with big goals for the future.
“I’m excited to join the top 100, play the big tournaments, get my place in this environment, and keep working to go bigger, to have more and more ranking.” He said.
“I think for me, for myself, in my opinion, the sky’s the limit. You need to work more and more to reach your dream, which is to become No.1.”