Joao Fonseca admitted that the transition to grass courts has been a learning process. “My first years in juniors and the first years in pros, it was difficult to adapt, but each year I was improving more, kind of adapting easier and faster,” he explained. Playing doubles in Halle helped him feel more comfortable, sharpening his serve and movement. He noted the differences between surfaces, with Halle being faster and Wimbledon slower, but said he is now feeling confident heading into The Championships.
Roland-Garros breakthrough
Reflecting on his run to the last eight in Paris, Fonseca highlighted the importance of resilience. “That result was important for me in many matters. I think first proving myself that I could win matches that I was two sets down… a match against Novak that I’m going to remember for my whole life,” he said. He revealed that he arrived at Roland-Garros with low confidence and wrist concerns, but gradually improved and surprised himself with strong performances.
Injury precaution and Wimbledon focus
Fonseca reassured reporters about his fitness after withdrawing from Eastbourne. “Already feeling 100%. It was nothing serious and it was just like precaution to play here 100%,” he explained. His priority was to arrive at Wimbledon fully prepared, and he expressed excitement about playing on Court 18 for the first time, calling it a special opportunity.
Learning to manage body and mind
The Brazilian emphasized the lessons of the past year in balancing workload and recovery. “It helped me a lot to understand my body for sure… sometimes practicing too much or playing too much can hurt you. Trying to understand also my mental health was important,” he said. He described taking time in Rio to reset after a long clay season, recognizing the need to manage both physical and mental demands for longevity in his career.
Strengths on grass
Fonseca identified serving and returning as key weapons on grass. He also discussed the importance of movement, staying low, and adjusting to the unique pace of the surface. “Movementation is something that is an adaptation… if the ball eats you, you can’t produce power, so you always need to get to the ball first,” he explained, using a vivid phrase from Portuguese to describe the challenge.
Inspirations from tennis greats
Asked about influences from the sport’s legends, Fonseca pointed to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. “I always saw Roger, but I’ll say it more about Nadal… combine talent with hard work, it was something that inspired me a lot,” he said. He admitted he was not the hardest worker as a teenager but learned that effort combined with skill was essential to achieving success.
First impressions of grass
Fonseca recalled his debut on grass at Roehampton juniors. “First time on grass was like after the practice, my back hurts a lot. You need to stay close to the ground and bend your knees very much. Movementation for me was pretty difficult at the beginning,” he said, describing the physical demands of the surface.
Football passion
Away from tennis, Fonseca expressed enthusiasm for Brazil’s World Cup campaign. “I think Brazil is doing pretty great… Japan is always difficult to play, but hopefully we can get through,” he said with a smile.
Fonseca now heads into Wimbledon with confidence, experience, and inspiration, aiming to build on his Roland-Garros success and continue his rise on the grass courts.
ATP Wimbledon - Joao Fonseca's projected path
Joao Fonseca in 2026
Now ranked no.27, the Brazilian played his last match on the 16th of June when he capitulated to world no.55 Yannick Hanfmann 6-2 6-2 in the 1st round in Halle (draw).
Presently, during this year Joao has a compiled 14-11 match record.
