Joao Fonseca fell short of expectations at the Buenos Aires ATP 250 this week.
The 19-year-old Brazilian had to defend his title in the Argentine capital and had a lot of pressure, but he couldn't manage it in the best way. His run ended against Alejandro Tabilo already in the first round, in a match characterized by too many ups and downs.
The South American star – who is not expressing his best tennis at the beginning of the season – has also struggled due to the back injury that hit him during the pre-season. The world number 33 has not won an official match this year yet, considering that he was eliminated on his debut at the Australian Open (where he was defeated by American ace Eliot Spizzirri).
Everyone expected more from Fonseca in Baires, given that this tournament had given him the first ATP title of his young career exactly a year ago. In his press conference, he highlighted the need to continue working hard to get back to 100% of his shape and added that he will have to learn to handle the increasing pressure.
Fonseca disappointed in Baires
Joao is still very young and needs experience to become a complete player, but the experts' predictions about him require him to force the times and have to manage huge expectations for a player of his age.
During the latest edition of the show 'Sans Filet', the famous journalist Frédéric Verdier commented on Fonseca's premature elimination in Argentina: "Joao is forced to handle a really gigantic pressure, fueled by the fact that he is Brazilian and the fans are almost hysterical there. The Brazilian people especially love football, but we all remember how close they got to tennis when Guga Kuerten was there.
They are eager to admire the exploits of Fonseca, who could become the third huge player along with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. At the same time, it must be admitted that this guy has not won anything important yet. It has created an unrealistic expectation for a 19-year-old player and it is not easy for him to manage this situation."
