Tennis
Joao Fonseca Loses In 1st Round Of Rio Open
Wendi Oliveros is a diehard tennis fan that is known to set her clock at ridiculous hours to watch live action especially during the Australian Open. She is known for indulging in strawberries and cream during Wimbledon and has watched the US Open live several times.
Get to know wendioliveros betterPublished18 Feb 2025
After a spectacular week in Buenos Aires culminating in winning his first ATP title at the Argentina Open on Sunday, Joao Fonseca lost in the first round of his home tournament, the Rio Open.
Fonseca leaped up 31 spots in the rankings to become World No. 68. He faced World No. 60 Alexandre Muller who was up to the task. Muller did everything better than Fonseca and won the first set 6-1 in 28 minutes.
In addition to not winning points on his second serve, Fonseca had many unforced errors. He was spraying balls in a way that was unfamiliar last week. His serving woes were also considerable. Fonseca finally had an easy love serving game to go up 6-5 in the second set.
Muller managed the moment and the raucous atmosphere with the Rio fans.
Alexandre Muller Exposed Joao Fonseca’s Weaknesses
Though Fonseca has a complete game, Muller exposed some vulnerabilities that the 18-year-old will certainly improve as he continues to hone his game. He hit low balls that forced the 6’1″ Fonseca to crouch down to hit. Muller also expertly used the drop shot to win many points as Fonseca was positioned well behind the baseline.
Unusual post loss on court interview from João Fonseca, who addresses the crowd.
“I will comeback stronger next year. Thank you for the incredible support”. pic.twitter.com/SJViOEbBQn
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) February 19, 2025
Tennis is a brutal sport. Players are champions one day and soundly defeated the next time they go out on the court. Fonseca is a great talent who will learn from the loss and come back even better. It hurt for him to lose in the first round of his home tournament; he will use that to motivate himself to perform better next year. The Rio fans will be waiting and very eager to cheer him on.
Muller.
“One day I will tell my kids that I beat João Fonseca in the centre court of Rio de Janeiro. He will be a legend of the sport”. pic.twitter.com/4NZOtuytgt
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) February 19, 2025
In the meantime, Muller, who probably gained some Rio fans for his respectful applause and kind words about Fonseca after the match, will play Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the second round.
