“Wherever he goes, people go crazy” – Fonseca, a global phenomenon
In Brazil, João Fonseca is considered the successor to the legend Gustavo Kuerten, three-time winner of Roland-Garros.
You had to get up early on Tuesday, May 27th, to get into the precious seats on Court 7 and wait until the end of the day to see the young 18-year-old phenomenon, João Fonseca . The Roland-Garros crowd had clearly targeted his match, so much so that the queue to get onto the court was several meters long, complicating the flow of traffic in the aisles.
Ticket holders for the evening session on Court Philippe-Chatrier also took to the stairs leading to Roland-Garros’s central court, which overlooks Court 7, to catch a glimpse of the Brazilian giving a lesson to Hubert Hurkacz , world number 28 (6-2, 6-4, 6-2) .
No one wanted to miss João Fonseca’s first match at Roland Garros, as if to be able to say the famous “I was there” in a few years, if the Brazilian becomes a tennis legend. For the moment, there is still a long way to go for the modest 65th in the world , who is already a phenomenon and who is a hit all over the world, sometimes even more so than the current stars.
“Everywhere he goes, people go crazy and rush towards him,” Matheus Campos Castro, a reporter for ESPN Brazil, told us. “Like, at the Rio Open, in his hometown, he was the big star, even though Zverev was there, people wanted to see him play, train.”
“So it’s a phenomenon, I think, in Brazil. And now, since the Australian Open and his victory against Rublev, it’s become a global phenomenon. Here, for Court 7, there weren’t enough seats to see him. So people even went up to the Philippe-Chatrier to watch the match from there.”
IT IS BELIEVED THAT THIS COULD BE THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA FOR BRAZILIAN TENNIS.
Brazil first became a men’s tennis sensation in the late 1990s with the exploits of Gustavo Kuerten. “Guga” won Roland Garros three times (1997, 2000, 2001) and was world number one, becoming a true living icon in his country and in the world of the little yellow ball.
Fourteen years after Kuerten’s last victory at Roland Garros, Brazil may have found a new successor in João Fonseca. The 18-year-old on Tuesday became the second-youngest winner of a Porte d’Auteuil match in the last ten years, behind 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in 2021. The Brazilian people are behind him and firmly believe in his potential to win, not one, but several Grand Slams.
“There’s a lot of pressure on him. Many people think he can win Grand Slams, that he can become world number one,” continues Matheus Campos Castro. “João actually says that his dream is to become number one. And since he said that, and people saw him beat Rublev, then Hurkacz, people are starting to really believe it. Everyone agrees that he’s the best young player in the history of Brazilian tennis, maybe in two or three decades. But becoming number one, winning Grand Slams, is a long road.”
FONSECA-MANIA RETURNS TO COURT 14
“For the Brazilian media, it’s huge. We think it could be the beginning of a new era for Brazilian tennis, since Guga. He’s still young, 18 years old. And in recent months, he’s lost some tournaments in the first round, like a Challenger in Portugal. And there are already people in Brazil criticizing him. Especially on social media, some are saying, ‘How can he beat Rublev, a top 10 player, and then lose to Sonego, who’s ranked in the top 60?’ So, with the expectations, there are already critics. But they’re not the majority. The majority of Brazilians love him, support him, and we all believe in his immense potential.”
For the moment, João Fonseca seems to be handling the pressure very well. He won his first career title in February 2025 on the clay courts of Buenos Aires , becoming the youngest Brazilian in the Open era to win an ATP tournament. Whilst he has since slowed down a bit, losing in the second round in Madrid, and in his first match in Rome, he responded at Roland Garros by inflicting a straight-sets defeat on Hubert Hurkacz, who made life difficult for Novak Djokovic in the final of the Geneva tournament a few days ago. To manage expectations, the Brazilian can count on a strong entourage that keeps him grounded.
“I think he’s doing a great job, he’s very confident, and he doesn’t let his emotions get the better of him, even though a lot of people talk about him, compare him to tennis legends like Nadal, Alcaraz… And then in Brazil, we have our greatest player, Guga, who has won here three times. But he wants to do things his way. He wants to be João, as he always says when people compare him to tennis stars.”
“He’s handling it well. He has a very good team, he’s very close to his family and his friends. He doesn’t let outside pressure get to him. He puts pressure on himself, but he doesn’t let the public’s expectations get to him. He was nervous, of course; it’s his first time here at Roland Garros, but he handled it well. He knew how to handle it.”
At a press conference following his first-round victory over Hubert Hurkacz, the man in question spoke about the expectations placed on him as he continues to perform on the ATP Tour. With a smile, he confirmed that he feels this pressure but is learning to manage it, thanks in part to those around him.
“Expectations are going to come. People are going to talk. They’re going to compare me to other people, other players. For my mental health, it’s just good to be around good people who can help me keep the right mindset, the one I need. I need to do my best, improve my routines, stay with positive people, stay healthy, and not focus on expectations. Yeah, I handle that pretty well, but sometimes the pressure comes. That’s normal. You have to learn how to handle it. I’m young, and I’m gaining experience in all of this now. So I’m learning a lot on this tour and in this environment where there’s going to be a lot of expectations.”
Fonseca-mania will continue on Thursday on the famous Court 14 at Roland Garros against Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert, and tickets will once again be very sought after to see the talented Brazilian with infinite potential play.
