BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 6, 2025

Joao Fonseca

Press Conference

J. FONSECA/J. Fearnley

6-2, 1-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Well done, Joao. First match in Tennis Paradise. Were those the most difficult conditions you have ever played in in your career?

JOAO FONSECA: Well, maybe. First round of a Masters, windy, playing against a great guy. So, I mean, it was difficult conditions, but I got through so I'm very happy the way that I fought today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I know immediately after your match you kind of went to the practice courts area. Fans are there, cheering you on. When you get to practice surrounded by fans, all these people coming up for autographs, what is that like for you as you're getting into the mindset for taking on these games?

JOAO FONSECA: I mean, everything is new for me. I'm still young and I'm still kind of getting used to this.

But seeing people, and not only Brazilians but from all over the world, like, cheering for me and calling my name, just wanting autographs, kids. Like, two years ago it was me asking for the autographs. I mean, it's just very nice to see those kids and people watching for me.

Q. Joao, things really started to take off for you in the last two months. You're still very young. How are you adapting and appreciating the attention that you're getting? Do you enjoy it? Do you like, let's call it, a bit of fame?

JOAO FONSECA: I mean, the thing that me and my team, we always focusing on, like, not getting to the media and focusing just a routine what we need to do to achieve what we wanted.

I'm a guy that likes to stay with the team, stay with the family, not focus about what the media is talking. So just focusing my routine. So it's a way that it just you need to focus in your way.

Yeah, like I said, I'm young. Like you said also. So I need to get used to this. It's normal. Sometimes you see the people talking something, so yeah, you need to focus on what you need to do.

Q. First off, congratulations on your win here. Second off, I saw you went to the practice courts after. You just played a three-set match. Were you cooling down? What was the purpose of going back out to the courts?

JOAO FONSECA: I mean, the conditions were very difficult today, a lot of windy. So I was not feeling, like, the ball very much because it was difficult to play.

So it was just a cooldown, just I knew I was playing just on Saturday. We are hitting some more returning, so just to feel a little bit more for tomorrow.

Q. Sascha Zverev was asked about you yesterday, and he said in addition to really liking your game, he remembers being 18 and how that was really the most fun time to be on the tour for him, because you're sort of playing without too much pressure, you're swinging freely. I wondered if you could just talk about that a little bit.

JOAO FONSECA: I mean, of course it's nice. Everything is new. It's my first time here. My second year as a professional. I'm getting to the better tournaments. So just seeing those different tournaments and seeing the top players.

Just met Novak today, Carlos. So seeing those guys, just like, okay, it's just like an hour there, so it's super cool. Everything is super cool.

Yeah, sometimes it comes a pressure, it's normal. Like he said, people talking about you, of course going to be the pressure, Joao needs to win this match because he wants something tournament.

It will come, and you need to be prepared for it. Yeah, I mean, you just need to focus on what you need to do, and win matches, and focusing with your team on the routines.

Q. Whose autograph did you seek out and get? And where? What did both Carlos and Novak say to you today?

JOAO FONSECA: Sorry? Can you repeat?

Q. When you said a couple of years ago you were asking for autographs. I was asking, whose autograph did you get? And where? Then I asked what Carlos and Novak said to you today when you met them.

JOAO FONSECA: Well, the autographs that I got was more in Rio Open, it was just my hometown, and I watch all the editions. I have Rafa's when he won there, like, I don't know, nine years ago, ten years ago. I had Bellucci's, Munar. A lot of autographs from all the players.

Well, I just met Carlos before my match, and I asked, hey -- like in Spanish -- hey, how you doing? That was just like meeting time.

But with Novak, I was just leaving the court that I practiced after my match, and then he was entering. He asked if I won. I said I won. Then he just congratulated me. It was just super cool that he was talking to me. (Laughter.)

Q. Well done. So dealing with the really tough conditions, how did you adjust your game? Is there any other match that you can compare that to, dealing with that sort of blowing wind and swirling wind?

JOAO FONSECA: If there is a match, I don't remember. But yeah, today I played very good first set. I was a lot solid, and the wind was making him uncomfortable. He was making a lot of mistakes.

So, yeah, I played good in the first set, solid, and it was 6-2. And then the second set he was more aggressive in the beginning of the points, returns and serves, serve plus one. I was not feeling my game. I was just going behind and making him play, so he played good. He was solid also.

In the third set he got a break early. And, yeah, always third set you're still nervous, both are nervous. So there was some games there it was just like stay more in the points, and sometimes just a little mistake.

So, yeah, I just broke him in 3-2, I think, to 3-All. Then, yeah, it was difficult to serve in 3-All, a lot windy, but I got through.

Then after was just more a mental game than both playing, if he was playing badder than me. I think he was playing badder than me most of the time. But, yeah, like I said, when it's windy, it's just a little mistake, and at this level it's just one point that you won the match.

Q. If you had to say one or maybe two things that are the strength of your game, what would they be? And what do you love the most about this sport?

JOAO FONSECA: Wow, difficult question, but I would say I like my forehand and the way I think my mental part, it's quite good I think for my age.

What I love about the sport is that the tennis gives you many opportunities. If you lose a point, there's going to be another point, and you can lose again. You can even play worse than the other guy, but you can still win.

So it's a technical, physical, and mental game. I think it's very good. I love this sport since I was, like, eight years old. So, I mean, yeah, that's what I like of tennis.