Joao Fonseca explains how he has been received by other players following his remarkable victory over Andrey Rublev.
The Brazilian announced himself in a major way when he defeated the World number nine in the opening round of the Australian Open.
This was the first main draw Grand Slam match of Fonseca’s career and in the process he became just the second teenager since 1973 to defeat an ATP top 10 opponent in their very first match at a major.
His performance certainly put his fellow players on notice and they can expect Fonseca to be a threat at many tournaments through the season and beyond.
Joao Fonseca says how other players reacted to him beating Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open?
Joao Fonseca successfully qualified for the main draw of the Australian Open and was rewarded with a first round tie against a top 10 player.
This was no problem for the teenager as Fonseca recorded a 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-6(5) win, and he hit 51 winners in the process.
Several players praised him for his performance, and the 18-year-old shared how he was received in the locker room after his statement win.
“The players are, like, congratulating me for a good match against Rublev, a good win”, Fonseca told reporters after losing to Lorenzo Sonego in round in Melbourne. “But it’s important to get — it’s going to be a little bit rude — but getting some respect from other players.
“Yeah, from Brazil, the repercussions are just big. People are getting to know a little bit more of me. That’s super nice. But at the same time you need to be focused.
“People are going to say a lot, have more expectations, like I said. Yeah, you need to stay focused in your routine, what you need to do. Yeah, to work more and more.”
Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz react to Joao Fonseca’s Australian Open debut
Fonseca recording a shock win over Rublev at the Australian Open has been one of the biggest talking points of the tournament so far.
Not only were fans excited but some of the world’s top players spoke highly of the Brazilian after his sensational performance to reach round two in Melbourne.
“I congratulated him not only on the win last night that I’ve seen, the last set I’ve seen, but also everything he has been doing the last six to 12 months”, said Novak Djokovic. “I’ve been following his rise, and I just love how he plays the big points. Courageous, very clean hitter, all-around player. I’ve been a fan of his game.”
Coco Gauff added: “I wasn’t surprised, I kind of called it. I said that he was going to beat [Andrey] Rublev. “I didn’t think it was going to be straight sets, I thought it was going to be four. I’ve been on the [Joao] Fonseca train since early.”
After beating Yoshihito Nishioka 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 to reach the third round on Wednesday, Carlos Alcaraz said about Fonseca: “The way he played his first Grand Slam match against his first top-10 opponent, it’s unbelievable.
“The way he approached the match, the way he handled everything, the nerves, the match in general, it’s been fantastic. It’s someone that I have to be careful of, let’s say. I have to see him. He’s going to be there.”
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