Retired tennis great analyses what has ‘changed’ for Joao Fonseca since the start of 2025
Jim Courier believes that ‘expectations’ have changed surrounding Joao Fonseca, and that this is something which he will have to deal with heading forward in his career.
The young Brazilian has had a sensational last six months, winning the Next Gen ATP Finals, before sensationally dominating Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open, and – in February – lifting the Argentina Open title.
More recently, Fonseca won a Challenger event in Phoenix, but has lost three of his last four matches.
“I think, realistically, a good outcome for him [at Roland Garros] would be the fourth round,” stated Courier.
“He is not going to be seeded and is going to have to battle his way into that type of environment. It’s best of five sets, he has shown in Australia that he can handle that against Rublev.”
“But we shall see. The expectations have changed now and maybe that’s a part of the situation today [losing to Marozan].
“There was a huge amount of Brazilians out there, a lot of energy, and it sounded and looked really cool when I was watching it this morning, but it’s easy for an 18-year-old with that much horsepower to want to show it off, but he needs a harness right now.
“That is where his coaching team is going to have to bring him back and educate him. This is all part of the process. He is hugely exciting.”
The comments came after Fonseca’s Rome Masters match, which was a 6-3, 7-6(4) defeat to Hungarian Fabio Marozsan.
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“I couldn’t play my best tennis,” admitted Fonseca, after his Rome loss
“I didn’t enter the match as I usually do, playing aggressively. I knew it would be a tough match, and I haven’t been playing well in my recent games; the nerves have been overwhelming.
“I need to keep working and learning. Thankfully, I am young enough to take on these challenges, improve, and evolve.
“Now, it’s time to rest, reflect on the loss, and discuss with my team what the next steps will be. The season is not over yet.”
The Brazilian is currently ranked as the world No 63 in the live rankings, meaning that he will not be seeded at the French Open, and could be a dangerous first-round opponent for any of the 32 seeds.
