The dream of the semi-final ended, but João Fonseca's campaign at Roland Garros went down in the history of Brazilian tennis. At 19 years old, the Rio native was defeated this Tuesday (2) by Czech Jakub Mensik by 3 sets to 0, partial scores of 6/4, 6/3 and 7/6, in the quarter-finals of the French Grand Slam. Despite the elimination, the Brazilian leaves Paris with his best performance in tournaments of this level, a millionaire prize and an important jump in the world ranking.
The match analysis was published by journalist Lucas Ribeiro. The confrontation lasted 2 hours and 47 minutes and showcased João's mental strength, who managed to save six match points before being defeated in the tie-break of the third set.
Learning and evolution
“I came to the tournament without setting big goals and ended up exceeding my own expectations. It was an intense few days, with very demanding matches and experiences that I will certainly take with me into my career,” said the tennis player, who built his campaign with remarkable victories over Dino Prizmic and Novak Djokovic, both after coming from behind and winning 3 sets to 2.
“Before this competition, I still had doubts about how I would react in such long and grueling matches. Now I am certain that I can compete at a high level for hours. I leave here with more confidence in my tennis, my physical preparation, and my ability to face difficult moments,” he assessed.
The Brazilian also made a point of highlighting the support he received from the stands. “The fans played a huge role throughout the campaign. In difficult situations, when I was behind on the scoreboard, they continued to believe in me and encourage me. That energy made a difference at various moments.”
Mensik imposed his rhythm.
From the start of the match, the Czech player showed why he is considered one of the great promises of the new generation. With powerful serves and great consistency in the rallies, Mensik managed to neutralize the Brazilian's aggressive game.
João created opportunities in the early games, but failed to capitalize on the decisive moments. His opponent grew stronger as the match progressed, secured the necessary breaks, and built a two-set lead without much trouble.
Exciting reaction in the third set.
When defeat seemed inevitable, João Fonseca showed resilience. The Brazilian managed to break his opponent's serve early in the third set and began playing more aggressively.
Even after breaking back, he regained the lead and came close to forcing a fourth set. In the most dramatic moments of the match, he saved six match points and earned applause from the French crowd.
However, the effort wasn't enough. In the tie-break, Mensik prevailed 7-3 and secured his place to face Alexander Zverev in the semi-final.
Jump in the ranking
Despite his elimination, João Fonseca has reason to celebrate. With his performance at Roland Garros, the Brazilian will rise from 30th to 25th in the ATP rankings, an update that will be made official next week.
The result places the young player alongside historic names in Brazilian tennis, such as Thomaz Koch and Fernando Meligeni. The mark is currently the third best ever achieved by a Brazilian in the modern era, behind only Thomaz Bellucci and three-time Grand Slam champion Gustavo Kuerten.
Million dollar prize
The campaign in Paris also had a significant financial impact. By reaching the quarterfinals, João Fonseca secured a prize of 470 euros, equivalent to approximately R$ 2,77 million.
Adding up the amounts accumulated throughout the competition, the Brazilian leaves Roland Garros with approximately 1,6 million euros in earnings related to his time in the tournament, equivalent to about R$ 6,7 million.
More than the numbers, however, the tournament confirmed João Fonseca as one of the leading talents of the new generation of world tennis and reinforced the expectation that the Brazilian will once again compete in the decisive stages of the biggest events on the circuit in the coming years.
Praise from the opponent
After securing his place at Roland Garros, Mensik made a point of acknowledging the Brazilian's performance. The Czech described Fonseca as a high-level opponent and highlighted the competitive spirit demonstrated by the young player during his tournament campaign.
According to Mensik, the Brazilian tennis player already occupies a prominent place among the most promising talents on the world circuit. The European highlighted that Fonseca has been attracting attention since the youth categories and stated that the Brazilian possesses a technical level comparable to the leading names of the new generation of tennis.
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