João Fonseca arrived at Roland Garros for the first time in 2025 without almost anyone knowing what to expect from him. He won two games, reached the third round and left with his reputation intact — and greater. A year later, the 19-year-old from Rio returns to the Paris clay in a radically different condition: he is the 28th seed of the tournament, is in 30th place in the ATP rankings and carries, for the first time, the responsibility of having results to defend.
“Last year it was João who really didn’t owe anyone anything. He was always the underdog, ‘underdog’, nobody really knew what I could play,” he said, in an interview in Paris this Friday (22). “I’m currently a little more firmly in the top 30. The players already know me and I have to defend my score. For me, it’s an incredible experience.”
The change in status, according to him, does not bother him. On the contrary, he describes it as a natural part of the maturation process. “I think I’m better mentally, better physically, technically too. So it has everything to be a good tournament.”
On Sunday (24), Fonseca debuts against an opponent coming from qualifying or a ‘lucky loser’ — tennis player eliminated in the last qualifying round who enters if a starter withdraws due to injury. If he advances, he could meet Croatian Dino Prizmic (71st in the ATP) in the second round and, in the third, with Novak Djokovic, three-time champion in Paris and current number 4 in the world.
So far, the 2026 season has been irregular — early eliminations in Madrid and Rome, withdrawal in Hamburg due to wrist pain —, but it has brought the experience of measuring up against the best in the world. Fonseca faced Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev and says he came away from each match with specific lessons.
“They show how to manage pressure very well. They manage to remain very calm in important moments, even when things are difficult”, he analyzed. “I’m a player who puts a lot of pressure on the opponent at all times, I like to play aggressively, and they stay calm, knowing when to accelerate, knowing when to play the point with more intensity.”
Regarding the duel against Alcaraz, he commented: “I started very badly in the first two sets. He got a break at the beginning and let go, it was very difficult to follow.” With Sinner, he says he was impressed in another way. “At important moments he managed to close the doors. It seemed like a detail, but he was always very aware of what to do.”
Patience on clay
The main technical evolution that Fonseca points to is behavioral: he says he learned to be patient on a surface that punishes haste.
“One thing I improved a lot was becoming more solid in points. I was able to understand the moments when I can play the game I like — sticking it out and playing aggressive —, but clay gives you a message: you have to be a little more patient,” he explained. “It’s not like the fast court, where one ball solves the problem. You have to be able to cause problems by being aggressive, but with a margin.”
He goes further in the analysis. “I’ve been understanding how to think about the opponent in the match, if he’s feeling pressure, if I should make him think, play more balls in. I’m getting to understand this better. And clay also gives you room to come back. You can be at a disadvantage in the set and start thinking point by point, and things will happen.”
Fame and focus
Off the court, Fonseca navigates a new reality. The cry “Joãããão Fonseca” is already a trademark in the stands — and sometimes a problem, as was evident in Rome, when he criticized the noise of the Brazilian fans during serves.
In Paris, the scenario is different, but popularity accompanies it. A training session this Friday at Court Philippe-Chatrier —the central court of Roland Garros— with Frenchman Gael Monfils (221st in the ATP) attracted hundreds of fans, including many Brazilians, who applauded him as if it were a real match.
Fonseca was asked about social media and the pressure of public exposure. “I’m not much of a player who stays on social media. I don’t follow it so much, responding, seeing what people are saying about me. I’m more focusing on my day to day life.”
Regarding the movement of players for a greater share of the Grand Slam prize pool, a hot topic at Roland Garros this week, he acknowledged having been informed, but refrained from taking sides. “I don’t have much to say because I’m only at the second Roland Garros. I’m focusing a lot on my game.”
