By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday Might 28, 2025
Paris – On Day 3 at Roland-Garros, I made the trek out to courtroom 7 early to see the ambiance forward of Joao Fonseca’s Paris debut. It was as anticipated — completely insane.
That wasn’t stunning. What was stunning was how effectively Fonseca managed the whole lot about his Roland-Garros debut.
I watched Fonseca and Hubert Hurkacz stroll up the steps as he took the courtroom with clamorong followers cheering for him. He appeared to be blocking all of it out and completely switched on, regardless of the cacophony.
Fonseca was able to go from the beginning of the match and he performed completely from begin to end.
The facility he possesses off of each wings isn’t any secret, however what impressed me essentially the most was his potential to play bodily factors and defend and improvise whereas doing so.
He slides so effectively. He’s made for the clay.
And he performed such level-headed attacking tennis. He was so within the second and so locked in. It was onerous to imagine that he nonetheless simply 18, given how mature he was in following his recreation plan and the way clear-headed his selections had been.
He didn’t take some extent off.
JOÃO.FONSECA. pic.twitter.com/w853kpSwDG
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) May 27, 2025
All some time, the stadium was going nuts round him. Fonseca already has a fantastic really feel for feed off their energy, but additionally not get too swept up in it. Followers journey in droves to assist him, Brazilian flags flying, and Fonseca is aware of his position is that of a frontrunner. He should hold his wits about him and filter out the noise as he progresses in his profession.
He ended up completely dominating Hurkacz, a lot in the identical manner he steamrolled Andrey Rublev in his Grand Slam debut this January in Australia. There was no likelihood for the Pole at any section of the match, and Fonseca would possibly dominate a equally within the second spherical when he faces Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
The start of the Fonseca is right here in Paris, even when it may be a little bit untimely after they inform him he’s the following Guga. Then once more the sky seems to be the restrict for this child. It was a privilege to observe his debut and will probably be a privilege to observe how his profession progresses on the Parisian clay.
