Fonseca and what he learned from his defeats with Alcaraz, Sinner and Zverev: "I was able to see the things they were better at than me"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 15 Jul 2026 | 12.44

Fonseca and what he learned from his defeats to Alcaraz, Sinner, and Zverev: "I could see the things in which they were better than me". Photo: Gettyimages

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Joao Fonseca has gone from strength to weakness from Roland Garros to Wimbledon. The Brazilian was one of the sensations of the Parisian tournament, defeating Novak Djokovic and reaching his first Grand Slam quarterfinals. However, his grass court season did not meet expectations, with two losses in three matches, in the first round of the ATP Halle and in the second round of Wimbledon. Nonetheless, reflecting on the year, the carioca remains positive.

Before the start of the second part of the season, Fonseca granted an interview to ESPN Brasil where he reviewed the first six months of the year, facing off with Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Alexander Zverev, the last three Grand Slam champions. He also revealed his plans for the upcoming weeks on the North American hard court swing.

Joao Fonseca has already faced Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Alexander Zverev

Despite losing all three matches, rather than being a concern, it served as a valuable experience for him: "I think having had this experience for me this year has been very good, and very important for my maturity and my career. I could play with all three and even though I lost to them all, it only left me with positive things. A lot of experience and maturity, because I could see where they were much better than me, where we were alike, and things I could do better. So, seeing all of that gave me a lot of experience to keep evolving and maybe someday, God willing, compete with these guys at the top."

He also emphasized that "playing with them this year was important, especially in a year where there are points to defend, in a year where I am experiencing my second year as a professional. Things have changed; now I have evolved and become more mature. Certainly, it left me with many positive things."

While he couldn't overcome any of the three, he did defeat the greatest tennis player of all time: Novak Djokovic. In a match at Philippe Chatrier, filled with carioca fans, an unforgettable moment: "It was very surreal, even more so because of all the external support. Honestly, it was impressive. When I won, I couldn't believe it; I was just savoring the moment, and when I saw my team, I just hugged them and thought, 'What just happened?'. It was truly incredible to have had this experience. Just being there on the court with him, sharing that moment, was surreal, but the way everything unfolded made it very special."

Fonseca not only discussed the past but also focused on the near future. Currently resting in Brazil, he already looks forward to the North American hard court swing: "The plan is to play Montreal, Cincinnati, rest for a week, and then play the US Open. I won't be playing in Washington because I want to spend a bit more time in Brazil. After New York, I'll head directly to the Asian swing. It will be a very long tour, perhaps the longest of the year. That's why I'm staying this time in Rio to rest, train, focus on the things I need to improve, and go all out for this hard court swing," warns Joao Fonseca, who is gradually establishing himself among the best tennis players in the world and aims to make an impact at the final Grand Slam of the year.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Fonseca y lo que aprendió de sus derrotas con Alcaraz, Sinner y Zverev: "Pude ver las cosas en las que eran mejor que yo"

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