Draper and Zverev on Fonseca: Growth and Challenge
SaturdayJoao FonsecaThe French Open came to an end at world No. 5 Jack Draper, but expectations for the 18-year-old Brazilian were still high as he left Paris.
The 2024 ATP Next Generation Finals champion defeated Hurkacz and Hugo Herbert in straight sets to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. In the end, Draper came out on top, winning in straight sets in 1 hour and 49 minutes.
In the post-match press conference, Fonseca was quick to focus on the positives and lessons learned.
"If I want to do well in the sport, I need to play against those kinds of players," Fonseca said as he reflected on the loss to Draper, "and today was an experience of playing a five-set match against a top five player in the world who was one of the best I've played against this year. ”
Fonseca then continued: "I'm still learning that, I'm still learning how to play in five sets. Things can change very quickly. When I ended the second set, my coach told me to keep going, find my rhythm and keep playing. I'm still learning about that and it's nice to see [improving] because sometimes I don't play well but I need to keep going and that can change soon." ”
Draper defeated Fonseca 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. Draper dominated the game for most of the game, but was quick to praise the 18-year-old when he spoke about the 18-year-old's performance in his post-match press conference on Saturday.
"How old is he, 18? [It's] pretty impressive," Draper said, "I'm 23, five years short, and I've changed a lot in a year." So I think he just needs time. He's already in the top 50 in the world and he's doing incredible things. His experience and everything will only grow with more tournaments [he plays], more experience against top fighters, and more training time. I think he's just going to keep rising. I think it's amazing what he can achieve in the future. ”
Fonseca is currently up 10 spots in the live PIF ATP rankings to No. 55, and he has a breakthrough year in 2025. He defeated world top 10 Andrei Rublev at the Australian Open before winning his first ATP Tour title in Buenos Aires in February, becoming the youngest South American champion in the ATP Tour era (since 1990).
Draper is now 2-0 up against Fonseca, but Fonseca had a strong performance earlier in the week, beating Hurkacz and Herbert in straight sets. Draper has not won the French Open until this year, and he has been out of the French Open for the first time in both 2023-2024 editions, and this year is Draper's third appearance at the French Open. He knows how steep the learning curve can be in a Grand Slam tournament.
"I feel like in a Grand Slam tournament it's a little bit of a mental challenge to be physically challenged. Come to think of it, it's one thing to beat a player ranked 30 to 100 in five sets, but it's a huge physical challenge to play against a confident and in-form player who feels like you have to win three sets," Draper explains, "I think it's tough when you haven't played a lot of Grand Slam tournaments. Obviously, maybe it's just a lack of experience to beat the top players, and if you don't have that experience, then maybe you feel like you have to do a lot of things with your tennis performance. You may have to play too aggressively. I think in the last few games against Joao he played very positively and I was fit enough to be able to return the ball from board to board. So maybe he feels like he needs to do too much. ”
Fonseca started the season in 145th place and is currently ranked 55th in the immediate standings. It was the second Grand Slam tournament in his career and his first trip to the French Open. Reaching the third round of the French Open in his first appearance was something Federer (first round of the French Open in 1999) and Novak Djokovic (second round of the French Open in 2005) also failed to do.
In Saturday's other match, Zverev defeated Italy's Koboli to advance to the fourth round. After the game, Zverev was asked about Fonseca's performance and agreed with Draper about Fonseca.
He said:
"At the beginning of my career, I had a couple of tough losses against the top. Against Rafa (Nadal) in Indian Wells. Against Rafa at the Australian Open. But it was clear what I was missing. I lack physical condition. I'm not physically ready to play them in five sets for a longer period of time. I don't think Jack's (Draper's) style of play really suits (Fonseca). It's that simple. Left-handed, attacking his backhand with a powerful forehand, which is still a bit of a problem for Joao. I guess that's it. ”
Currently, Fonseca has moved up 10 places in the ATP live rankings to No. 55. Looking ahead, he has set himself a clear goal – to be seeded at the Australian Open. Despite the defeat at the French Open, he did not dwell on the emotions of defeat, but quickly adjusted his mentality, focusing on the future matches and the grass court season, determined to continue to grow in the following tournaments and make steady progress towards his goal.
[Come and see me] [Zuoyi] [Heart]
Links
Contact
App
