Joao Fonseca has no regrets about paying at the Australian Open after losing in the first round on Tuesday to world No.85 Eliot Spizzirri.
Fonseca, tipped as a future star of men’s tennis, physically struggled at times on the court during his 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 loss to the American in what was his first Tour-level match of the season. The 28th seed took a medical timeout late into the fourth set and struggled with his movement on the court.
Coming into his clash with Spizzirri, Fonseca withdrew from his warm-up events due to lower back pain, which he first started to feel shortly before the Brisbane International. However, the 19-year-old stated that this pain didn’t hinder him in Melbourne. Instead, he admitted there are issues with his overall physical condition.
“I didn’t play very bad, but I didn’t play good as well. I felt I wasn’t 100% yet. I’m not talking about pain or injuries. I’m talking about the preparation of my physique,” Fonseca said during his press conference.
“I needed more time. Since the beginning of Brisbane, I wasn’t playing, and then I came back, but slowly. Then I stopped again. So I was almost, like, 15 days without hitting 100%, very intense.
“I got slowly back on court in Melbourne, so I felt I needed more rhythm. I needed more time to prepare my physique.
“I tried my best. I think it’s bad that I wasn’t 100% playing, but at the same time, it gives me maturity to keep going, to understand my body and to understand my limits. I’m still young and I’m still getting experience from that.”
Last year, Fonseca beat Andrey Rublev in the first round of the Australian Open to claim his maiden Grand Slam win. Following that, he went on to win two ATP titles and reach a high of No.24 during what was his first full season as a professional.
“I don’t regret it at all,” he said of playing in this year’s Australian Open.
“There are things in life that you need to get positive things from, so I think the positive things — well, my back is 100%. I’m healthy again. I just needed time.
“It was good to see how to deal with a five-set match and with the physique not 100%. I was getting tired earlier and I was not, like I said, 100%. I needed rhythm.
“But it’s good to have those experiences, to see your limits and to see how it can go. I don’t regret a thing.”
As for the possibility of making adjustments to his schedule in the future to minimise the risk of injury, Fonseca openly admits that he is still learning on the Tour. He didn’t break into the top 50 until last July and is currently ranked 32nd in the world.
“This is my second year on Tour, and I’m just trying to figure out what’s best for me.” He said. “But at the moment I’m just thinking about my next tournament. I’m not thinking about what I’m going to play in two years from now.”
The 19-year-old will now return to Brazil and prepare for the South American swing on clay next month. He is scheduled to play in Buenos Aires and Rio.
