When Ayrton Senna became three-time Formula 1 world champion in 1991, a crowd waited for him in the streets on his return to the country. Television cameras recorded the scene and interviewed fans. A young woman said that she collected newspaper clippings with the pilot’s victories. Another, laughing, tried to explain so much euphoria: “It’s the only thing that’s good about Brazil, right?”
Unfortunately, if the same sentence were said today, almost 35 years later, many people wouldn’t find it strange. I completely disagree, because I think Brazil has countless good things and because it gives off a feeling of nonconformity that doesn’t help anything, but I understand what the girl meant.
Our sporting success awakens pride and is a strong element in the construction of our national identity. It happens all over the world, in different ways depending on the country. There is a cultural aspect, but I believe that the way the population is treated influences it.
In the case of England, it can be argued that the English are more closed compared to Brazilians. But, because they are part of a society in which they are respected, with access to education and public transport and less stress, they do not place the responsibility of being the only thing that the country has good on the shoulders of an athlete. Whether a sports star loses or wins, life goes on.
João Fonseca is the most recent athlete to occupy this place of national pride. Those who follow tennis already predicted its success. At 17, he reached the quarterfinals of the Rio Open, an ATP 500. At 18, he won the Next Gen tournament. He became the youngest Brazilian to compete in a Grand Slam in the open era when he qualified for the Australian Open. He was praised by sports legends. He has talent and maturity.
We all have within us the ability to be genuinely happy with the success of those we admire. Let’s be clear, it’s not about supporting our idols, which is great, it generates positive energy. The issue is when this goes beyond the point, and we exaggeratedly project onto others expectations that are actually part of our ideal of success, or we depend on someone else’s achievements to be proud of ourselves or our country. Since no one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes, we will always be disappointed. It becomes even more dangerous amid the trash that social media has become, labeling someone from hero to failure in a matter of seconds.
At the same time as I followed the joy of João’s fans, after his victory over Andrei Rublev in the first round I thought about the size of the expectations for a young man who at some point would experience the most normal situation in high-level sport: losing.
It took me a while to write this text. What would be the right tone? Who am I to tell people to be calm, how they should cheer? I have no right to do that. Yes, I think that hacking Rublev’s Instagram to offend him is no joke, it’s rude. Even more so the Russian, who has already said that he had depression.
Eliminated in the second round in Australia, João would not be a hero if he advanced, nor is he a failure for losing. As the old saying goes, those who don’t get in the way help a lot. Professional sport has enough pressure as it is. May he have peace so that his enormous talent can develop even further.
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