18-Year-Old Fonseca Admits Nerves Played Role In Shock Rio Defeat After Buenos Aires Title
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Joao Fonseca came to the 2025 Rio Open as one of the top favorites, but he surprisingly lost already in the first round, and he explained his feelings after the loss.
Fonseca won the 2025 Argentina Open, held the week before the ATP 500 event in Rio de Janeiro. He joined some of the legends of the sport with his historic win, as he's still only 18 years old.
After his win in Buenos Aires, the Brazilian teenager moved to an environment that should have been even more welcoming to him. He played in his hometown, Rio de Janeiro, and despite entering the tournament only through a special exemption, he was one of the top favorites to win.
The 18-year-old player displayed an incredibly high level in Argentina, but not only there. Fonseca has been impressive for a few months now. But the home conditions didn't help him.
Fonseca lost already in the first round of the tournament to Alexandre Muller. The Frenchman beat the home crowd favorite 6-1, 7-6(4), and it was a disappointingly early exit for the teenager.
He wasn't able to find his highest level during the match, and after the loss, Fonseca admitted that he struggled with nerves. He played in front of his home crowd, which made him very nervous.
But he was also able to find positives, saying that he would take it as a lesson and learn from it. He will certainly have to face many excited crowds in his life.
"I knew I would get nervous, that I would have to face the fear of playing with so many people. I tried with all my strength to face the moment but I couldn't, it's part of the sport. It's about learning from these experiences to become stronger."
Fonseca was also asked about his health during his post-match press conference. During one of his matches in Buenos Aires, the Brazilian player needed some medical attention, and he often mentioned how tired he was.
But the 18-year-old player didn't want to blame his loss on not being physically ready. He admitted that he was at his best physically, saying that his struggles were only mental.
"I was 100% physically. I managed to get two good nights of sleep and rest well. Today had nothing to do with the physical, it was the mental part. I can only thank the fans and the Brazilian people for their affection."
"I'm sad that I won't be able to play another game with the best crowd in the world. I'll work hard to have more moments like this in the future. That's tennis, you lose more than you win generally. I want to improve as an athlete and as a person."
