The Tamesis
Earlier this week, in a conference room at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, 19-year-old Brazilian tennis phenom Joao Fonseca spoke to the media ahead of the start of the Miami Open. He was dressed casually, wearing a blue On T-shirt, Whoop fitness bands and a Rolex watch with a fluted bezel.
In one viral video on social media, he attempts to balance a banana on the top railing of a room divider with the help of Inspector Gadget-like arms. (Spoiler alert: It doesn’t work.) Next, he was asked to name the ten youngest 1,000-level men’s tournament champions in history — a tough question even for an avid tennis fan. Afterward, he was asked about the movie, and while Fonseca didn’t have much time to watch it, he did see the Oscar-nominated film secret agentThe film was directed by Recife-born Kleber Mendonça Filho and stars Salvador-raised Wagner Moura, both fellow Brazilians.
While content like this may be the requirement (and sometimes the bane) of our times, what really stood out, as I followed Fonseca, was how much of it present He said: As we walked across the room, the reporters, creators and staff we passed locked eyes with ours. Of course, Fonseca and his team can’t reach everyone, but everyone wants to reach him. The athlete himself has a confident gait – still lanky and long-limbed like a teenager, but confident. After two years on the road – with his profile and rankings soaring in the past 12 months – Fonseca appears to be both upgrading and settling down.
“I think I understand a lot more about how top players play – not technically, but mentally,” he said as we walked. “How to deal with important points, how to open up the game. I started to understand more of the mechanics of the game.”
Photo: Guillaume Quetler
The understanding and upgrade were on full display in Fonseca’s round of 16 match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., a few weeks ago. There, he faced world No. 2 Jannik Sinner for the first time in his career, fighting to reach a tiebreak in both sets (and holding down three set points in the first set). Powered by his dazzling on-gear and his signature core forehand, Fonseca looked a real threat to Sinner’s dominance (and by proxy Carlos Alcaraz: over the past three years, Sinner and Alcaraz have become the most impenetrable duo in tennis).
“I knew there was no weakness that I could try to counter with my strength,” Fonseca said of that crucial game. “I know if I work hard, it’s going to work hard back, so I think one of the most important things [for me when I play Jannik] It’s about maintaining the highest level of consistency. He just doesn’t miss the ball. “
Photo: Nick Remsen
While there was endless speculation in the tennis world about his potential to challenge Sinner and Alcaraz, Fonseca simply believed in himself. After last year’s breakthroughs at the Australian Open and Miami Open, he won two tour titles later this season – and while he’s currently not at the peak of his career rankings due to a lower back injury suffered a few months ago, if Indian Wells is any indication, he’s now back in form and better than ever.
