"Many compare me to Guga, but I want to be Joao and write my own story"

Joao Fonseca, despite his young age, already attracts all eyes and steals the spotlight wherever he goes. After a brief stint in the Davis Cup qualifiers, the Brazilian returns to the circuit at the ATP Buenos Aires 2025, where he will look to continue his good form at the start of the season and keep making waves in the big leagues. Beyond his tennis level, listening to him in a press conference reveals a man with a lot of maturity, feet on the ground, and who, according to himself, seeks to write his own story.

- First round against Tomás Etcheverry

"I know that playing here against an Argentine is not easy. The crowd is vibrant. However, it is nice to see. I've mentioned in some interviews that it's great to see all fans cheering for Argentinians, the culture they have here is very lovely. I've trained with Tommy before, he is a very nice person and a great player, he has been in the top 50 for a long time. I expect a great match, I hope to play very well and make it a great spectacle."

- The first champion of the Argentina Open, Gustavo Kuerten. What do the comparisons with Guga mean to him?

"Guga is an idol, not only for Brazilian tennis players but for the entire Brazilian people. He is an idol as a player, as a person: he has been a great person who has told me fantastic things that deserved to be heard. I was told about that today... I hope that in the future, I can win once (laughs). I don't really like to hear the comparisons, everyone has their time and writes their own story. Sometimes Brazilians talk about me being the next Guga, but I want to be Joao. Just one person. I want to write my own story."

- How did he experience his return to Brazil after what happened at the Australian Open: does he isolate himself from opinions, does he like reading what people say?

"I went to Brazil last week. People stopped me on the street when I went to the physio, they asked for photos... it's something new for me, really. I have experienced many new things since Australia: much more visibility, more people know me. Many new things externally, but internally, I still have the same goals, the same dreams. Things have changed, yes. I didn't notice it so much in Australia, but when I arrived in Brazil, I realized that everything is much bigger."

- Inner work to deal with all this, how does he work on the mental aspect?

"I personally don't have a psychologist, I tried it at some point but it didn't work for me, I didn't like it. Maybe in the future, I'll try again, but not now, not at this moment. I think I have a mature mind to realize everything that is happening externally: I know that things have happened very quickly in my career, from junior, my first year as a professional, now reaching the top 100... but I am aware that I must continue to grow, that my mentality must focus on staying humble, I must continue to work hard to grow more. I talk a lot with my coach, with my father, with my friends, right now I would say that I feel good."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, "Muchos me comparan con Guga, pero yo quiero ser Joao y escribir mi propia historia"