João Fonseca was impressed with the line to enter block 7 and see him play at his professional debut in Roland Garros. “I was coming on the court and I saw the line. And people watching at Philippe-Charier. In the third round in 2022 I lost on that same court [no torneio juvenil, contra o francês Gabriel Debru]and it was a ‘déjà-vu’, “he said after the match.
The Brazilian won the Polish Hubert Hurkacz (31st of the world) 3-0, with partials of 6/2, 6/4 and 6/2, in 1 hour and 40 minutes.
“It’s always good to play in the face of the Brazilian fans. Maybe 80% was Brazilian, it’s super cool. I enjoyed every moment. My first time playing here in the main key, it’s a dream that came to reach the second round,” added the Brazilian.
About the match, he said his “mindset” was “really good”. “I knew they would come great withdrawals, so I focused on returning a good ball, being as aggressive as possible, focusing on the opportunities. It was a great game, I’m happy with how I played service games.”
The carioca said he was pleased to honor the country’s tradition at the open open. “We have Guga, who is a legend of the sport, a legend to us Brazilians, not just for tennis, but for the charisma, the way of talking to people and giving interviews. It is an honor to be here in front of the Brazilian fans and have a great performance like today.”
About his next rival, Pierre-Hubers Herbert, the carioca said “he is a great friend.” “In Challengers we played together. It will be difficult not only for the player, but also for the fans, I know I have to play my best tennis and enjoy the second round of a Grand Slam, is to enjoy every moment.” He added to hope that the Brazilian fans will compensate, in part, the pressure of the French audience.
Fonseca said the opponent was kind in compliance with the end of the match. “Hubi is a very nice player. He said ‘Congratulations on everything he has done.'” The Polish also apologized to Fonseca for pulling very fast at the end of the match, which even forced him to repeat the withdrawal at one of the points.
