Rising Brazilian star João Fonseca is staying grounded despite a golden opportunity opening up at Roland Garros following the exits of top contenders Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.
After booking his place in the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career, Fonseca was asked whether the absence of major names like Sinner and Djokovic had changed his expectations for how far he could go in the tournament.
Rather than looking ahead, the youngster made it clear that he remains focused on enjoying the milestone moment and taking things one match at a time.
“Well, it’s my first fourth round of a Slam in my career,” Fonseca said. “I’m just thinking about my next match. The guys are still playing. And for now I’m just enjoying the moment.”
The Brazilian admitted that the significance of his achievement only began to sink in shortly after his latest victory.
“Just 10 minutes after the match I could realize a little bit what I did, what I achieved, how difficult it was, how amazing it was for me,” he explained. “I’m just in the fourth round.”
While acknowledging that the departures of Sinner and Djokovic may increase opportunities for experienced contenders still left in the draw, Fonseca refused to get carried away with speculation.
“Of course Jannik and Djokovic out, there’s more chances for the guys that are more time on tour like Sascha and Casper,” he said, referencing Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud as players who could benefit from the shifting landscape.
The young Brazilian also opened up on what it meant to share the court with Djokovic at Roland Garros, describing the experience as surreal and revealing the encouraging words the Serbian legend shared with him afterward.
“First of all it was an amazing match. Just sharing the court with him was an unbelievable experience,” Fonseca said. “At the end of the match he just said good luck. He said in Portuguese, ‘congrats.’ He said keep going and good luck. For me it was just a pleasure sharing the court with him.”
Despite the tournament opening up, Fonseca reiterated that his focus remains solely on the present.
“I’m just focusing match by match,” he added. “For me it was a great achievement, just being able to play my first Round of 16. I’m just gonna enjoy the moment.”
