"When a defeat teaches you more than a victory"

Jose Morón | 16 Jan 2025 | 19.00

Joao Fonseca, When a defeat teaches you more than a victory. Photo: Getty

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The society we live in is focused on results. Too much, sometimes. And yes, unjustly. We only see the outcome, not what lies behind it or what can be learned along the way. For example, today, many will see the result and that Joao Fonseca lost to a tennis player, by the name of Sonego, who is considered worse than Andrey Rublev. It will be said that he failed by losing to Sonego, but let me tell you that today, the Brazilian has gained something more important than what he would have if he had won against Lorenzo, and that is experience.

In a press conference, the Brazilian admitted that he saw the fuss in Brazil after his victory over Rublev, and he set too high expectations for himself. In other words, he put more pressure on himself. People started talking more about him. Alcaraz commented that he should be careful with him, Djokovic praised him, other players in the locker room who until recently he only saw on TV, stopped him and congratulated him for what he had done. And of course, he overthought things.

Without playing the second round, he already saw himself further from where he was in the draw. And when things began to go wrong against Sonego, he got nervous, and those little rocks he started putting in his backpack in the form of expectations started to weigh on him, and he played worse than he would have liked. Those nerves prevented him from showing his best version, and he lost.

Let's not forget that Joao is only 18 years old and that the same thing that happened to him happened before to Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner, and many other big names in modern tennis. Yes, to all of them. The important thing is that Joao has discovered what happened, to find a solution for future days.

Do you know what Federer did after beating Sampras at Wimbledon in that famous match? He lost to Henman. What would people have said about the Swiss if there had been social media at that time? Yes, that he wasn't good enough, that it wasn't that important, and that they had to realize how much the media had hyped him up. The same kind of criticism you often see now about Alcaraz or Sinner, despite one having four and the other two slams in his bag.

We are very results-oriented. All of us. Too unfair, but that's how we are.

We only see the result, that today Fonseca lost to a tennis player, by the name of Sonego, who is considered worse than Rublev, and we think it's a small failure.

Let me tell you that, for me, today Fonseca won something more important than a... pic.twitter.com/D38n81cI7p
— José Morón (@jmgmoron) January 16, 2025

Exams are taken at the end of the season, not on January 16th. Everyone should understand that Fonseca, this year, will lose more than 20 matches. It's logical and normal for someone his age. Today, he only lost one match, but there will be 20 more to come. And those additional 20 defeats that will come, will be completely logical and normal within the learning process of an 18-year-old playing his first big matches on the circuit.

Alcaraz, in his first great year on the ATP circuit, finished 32nd in the rankings; Sinner, 37th; Nadal, 51st; Djokovic, 78th; and Federer, 29th. Do you believe it's not feasible for Joao to end this year ranking around 30th to 50th? Well, if that happens, it would fit the pattern, considering what we've seen. Because perhaps people have forgotten (or many do not know) that even the greatest legends of this sport started out on the circuit learning as they went.

The difference between a great tennis player and the rest lies in how they are mentally able to handle the pressure. The pressure put on them and the pressure they put on themselves. We have seen many great talents fall by the wayside for various reasons, whether due to physical problems, not managing everything mentally, etc. No one can guarantee that Fonseca's career will be a tremendous success, but with all the potential he has, success will be defined by how he overcomes and manages the pressure.

Have you forgotten what happened to Alcaraz the first time he faced Djokovic in a Grand Slam? He was so nervous, Carlitos couldn't even sleep or eat breakfast in the morning. Then, during the match, he suffered cramps that earned him the nickname 'Calambritos' Alcaraz from certain people. What did he do? He learned from that, and a month later, he was taking a fifth set from Nole to lift the Wimbledon trophy.

Take steady steps with calmness. Joao is aiming high, yes. He has the quality and tennis to leave a mark in an era, yes. This must be acknowledged and highlighted because tennis is about names that attract people. But let's proceed calmly because the process is long, and there's still a way to go. Meanwhile, do not elevate anyone with a victory or throw them to the wolves with a defeat. Enjoy the journey because that's the most beautiful part of life: the path.