Latest news with #JoãoFonseca
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jack Draper beats João Fonseca in straight sets to reach French Open fourth round
A few days on from his unforgettable late-night escape against the oldest player inside the men's top 100, Jack Draper found himself up against the youngest of them all. From the unparalleled defensive capabilities of the 38-year-old Gaël Monfils, Draper examined the 18-year-old João Fonseca's nuclear forehand. No matter the challenge or conditions, Draper continues to show his ability to adapt to all obstacles in his path. He eased into the fourth round of the French Open for the first time in his career with an utterly devastating performance, by far his best of the tournament so far, dismantling Fonseca 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 to advance. Advertisement Related: French Open live: Draper and Sinner storm through, Gauff in action on day seven Since he marked his grand slam career with a stellar top 10 victory over Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open in January, the hype surrounding Fonseca has been overwhelming. Along with the massive expectations surrounding his talent, the Brazilian's emergence has reawakened one of the most passionate tennis fanbases in the world. At Roland Garros, where the legendary Gustavo Kuerten triumphed three times, the Brazilian fans were always going to be at their loudest. Back in March, Draper, the fifth seed in Paris, navigated two memorable events involving Fonseca. He played Fonseca for the first time in their second round match at Indian Wells, winning comfortably. A few weeks later at the Miami Open, the 23-year-old indirectly felt the force of the Brazilian's fanbase. Fonseca had initially been scheduled after Draper, but during the Briton's match it was abruptly moved to a bigger court. As thousands of booing fans angrily departed the court, Draper's match was briefly suspended: 'I thought the crowd was there to watch me but then when I rocked up on the court they went: 'João Fonseca,' I thought maybe they're not for me after all,' said Draper. Advertisement The hype surrounding Fonseca is a little too much, particularly since most young players benefit from developing without so much immediate pressure, but it exists for good reason. He is a precocious, exciting player already blessed with one of the most potent forehands in the game, which he pairs with a solid serve, improving athleticism and daredevil shotmaking. It is solely a reflection of Draper's complete game and relentless focus that Fonseca looked so pedestrian in this match. Fully conscious of the danger presented by a fearless youngster, Draper was sharp from the beginning. He opened up by returning consistently and with excellent depth, defending brilliantly as he repeatedly soaked up Fonseca's first strike. He set the tone with an early comfortable break in Fonseca's second service game. In the aftermath of his victory on Thursday night in painfully slow night conditions on Court Philippe-Chatrier, Draper noted that the balls were so heavy it felt like he was playing with depressurised orange balls for children. He was uncomfortable until the end. Despite the humidity, the warmer daytime conditions provided a far more optimal platform for him to show just how effective his game can be on these courts. As he rolled through the first set, Draper's forehand was devastating. His brutal weight of shot – the combined force of his extreme topspin and immense ball speed – and unrelenting depth completely smothered the Brazilian, making Fonseca's ball look lightweight by comparison. Draper only continued to grow in confidence behind his forehand and by the second set he was striking it with total freedom and changing directions down the line at will. Under constant pressure from Draper's forehand and unable to break through the Briton's defence, Fonseca's forehand error count piled up as he aimed closer and closer to the lines. This was a spectacular, complete performance from an increasingly complete player: Draper also served brilliantly, maintaining his pressure on Fonseca's service games by rolling through his own, and he returned with immaculate consistency and depth. As he continued to push Fonseca far behind the baseline with the force of his forehand, he peppered his opponent with a stream of well-timed drop shots. Having arrived in Paris still seeking his first victory at Roland Garros, Draper heads into the second week looking stronger than he has ever been.
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Jack Draper beats João Fonseca in straight sets to reach French Open fourth round
A few days on from his unforgettable late-night escape against the oldest player inside the men's top 100, Jack Draper found himself up against the youngest of them all. From the unparalleled defensive capabilities of the 38-year-old Gaël Monfils, Draper examined the 18-year-old João Fonseca's nuclear forehand. No matter the challenge or conditions, Draper continues to show his ability to adapt to all obstacles in his path. He eased into the fourth round of the French Open for the first time in his career with an utterly devastating performance, by far his best of the tournament so far, dismantling Fonseca 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 to advance. Since he marked his grand slam career with a stellar top 10 victory over Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open in January, the hype surrounding Fonseca has been overwhelming. Along with the massive expectations surrounding his talent, the Brazilian's emergence has reawakened one of the most passionate tennis fanbases in the world. At Roland Garros, where the legendary Gustavo Kuerten triumphed three times, the Brazilian fans were always going to be at their loudest. Back in March, Draper, the fifth seed in Paris, navigated two memorable events involving Fonseca. He played Fonseca for the first time in their second round match at Indian Wells, winning comfortably. A few weeks later at the Miami Open, the 23-year-old indirectly felt the force of the Brazilian's fanbase. Fonseca had initially been scheduled after Draper, but during the Briton's match it was abruptly moved to a bigger court. As thousands of booing fans angrily departed the court, Draper's match was briefly suspended: 'I thought the crowd was there to watch me but then when I rocked up on the court they went: 'João Fonseca,' I thought maybe they're not for me after all,' said Draper. The hype surrounding Fonseca is a little too much, particularly since most young players benefit from developing without so much immediate pressure, but it exists for good reason. He is a precocious, exciting player already blessed with one of the most potent forehands in the game, which he pairs with a solid serve, improving athleticism and daredevil shotmaking. It is solely a reflection of Draper's complete game and relentless focus that Fonseca looked so pedestrian in this match. Fully conscious of the danger presented by a fearless youngster, Draper was sharp from the beginning. He opened up by returning consistently and with excellent depth, defending brilliantly as he repeatedly soaked up Fonseca's first strike. He set the tone with an early comfortable break in Fonseca's second service game. In the aftermath of his victory on Thursday night in painfully slow night conditions on Court Philippe-Chatrier, Draper noted that the balls were so heavy it felt like he was playing with depressurised orange balls for children. He was uncomfortable until the end. Despite the humidity, the warmer daytime conditions provided a far more optimal platform for him to show just how effective his game can be on these courts. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion As he rolled through the first set, Draper's forehand was devastating. His brutal weight of shot – the combined force of his extreme topspin and immense ball speed – and unrelenting depth completely smothered the Brazilian, making Fonseca's ball look lightweight by comparison. Draper only continued to grow in confidence behind his forehand and by the second set he was striking it with total freedom and changing directions down the line at will. Under constant pressure from Draper's forehand and unable to break through the Briton's defence, Fonseca's forehand error count piled up as he aimed closer and closer to the lines. This was a spectacular, complete performance from an increasingly complete player: Draper also served brilliantly, maintaining his pressure on Fonseca's service games by rolling through his own, and he returned with immaculate consistency and depth. As he continued to push Fonseca far behind the baseline with the force of his forehand, he peppered his opponent with a stream of well-timed drop shots. Having arrived in Paris still seeking his first victory at Roland Garros, Draper heads into the second week looking stronger than he has ever been.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jack Draper overcomes raucous French Open crowd to beat home hero Monfils
Jack Draper will now play Brazilian 18-year-old João Fonseca in the third round, whom he beat on his way to the Indian Wells Masters title. Jack Draper will now play Brazilian 18-year-old João Fonseca in the third round, whom he beat on his way to the Indian Wells Masters title. Photograph: Christophe Petit-Tesson/EPA As 15,000 tennis fans cheered on his demise in the late hours of Thursday night, for a sustained period of time Jack Draper looked completely frazzled. He found himself playing a few too many drop shots, bailing out points instead of slamming the door shut. His first serve had vacated the premises. These things often happen in Gaël Monfils' lair, Court Philippe-Chatrier, where the effect of his magnetic personality draws his home crowd into a frenzy and his singular playing style plays tricks with any opponent's mind. Despite being pushed to his limits and standing on the verge of an uncertain fifth set, Draper gave another demonstration of his mental durability by somehow finding his way through to the third round of the French Open with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 win over Monfils. Advertisement 'No offence taken,' Draper told the crowd afterwards. 'This is why I play tennis, to play in front of big crowds, to play in front of crowds, whether they are with me or against me. That's the entertainment of tennis, so this is why I play. 'My brain was fried out here. I'm not sure if I'm gonna go to sleep tonight, my brain is just all over the place with what he's doing out there. That's why he's had such a successful career. That's why he is loved by all the fans. I think the players love to watch him play as well, but not to play against him.' This story will be updated
NBC Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
João Fonseca beats Hubert Hurkacz in French Open debut
PARIS — João Fonseca is making a habit of drawing big crowds at tennis tournaments — and of beating seeded opponents in his Grand Slam debuts. The 18-year-old from Brazil delighted a loud and overflowing group of spectators at 1,500-capacity Court 7 and won the first French Open match of his nascent career, beating 30th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. 'I'm young, and I'm getting the experience of everything now,' Fonseca said. 'So I'm learning a lot from this circuit and this environment.' Fonseca needed just 1 hour, 40 minutes to wrap up the victory, producing more than twice as many winners, 36, as unforced errors, 15, and repeatedly delivering booming forehands. 'I mean, he's (got) a very powerful game,' said Hurkacz, who reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 2021 by beating Roger Federer in the last match of the 20-time major champion's career. 'He's definitely an all-around player and can develop a lot. It's difficult to play against him.' All along, Fonseca heard plenty of support from the Brazilians who haven't had a Grand Slam champion to cheer for since Gustavo Kuerten was winning three French Open titles in 1997, 2000 and 2001. Fonseca, the 2023 U.S. Open junior champion and currently ranked 65th, played his first match in the main draw of a major at the Australian Open in January, when he knocked off No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev.
The Advertiser
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Teen star Fonseca becoming a grand slam seed slayer
Brazilian teenager João Fonseca is making a habit of drawing big crowds at tennis tournaments - and of beating seeded opponents in his Grand Slam debuts. Fonseca, the 2023 US Open junior champion and currently ranked 65th, played his first match in the main draw of a major at the Australian Open in January, when he knocked off No.9 seed Andrey Rublev. On Tuesday the 18-year-old delighted a loud and overflowing group of spectators at 1500-capacity Court 7 and won the first French Open match of his nascent career, brushing past 30th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz 6-2 6-4 6-2. In doing so he became the second-youngest men's match winner at the clay-court major in the past 10 years, behind only an 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in 2021. "I'm young, and I'm getting the experience of everything now," said Fonseca "So I'm learning a lot from this circuit and this environment." Last year's champion at the Next Gen ATP Finals, Fonseca needed just one hour, 40 minutes to wrap up the victory, producing more than twice as many winners, 36, as unforced errors, 15, and repeatedly delivering booming forehands. "I mean, he's (got) a very powerful game," said Hurkacz, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2021 by beating Roger Federer in the last match of the 20-time major champion's career. "He's definitely an all-around player and can develop a lot. It's difficult to play against him." All along, Fonseca heard plenty of support from the Brazilians who haven't had a Grand Slam champion to cheer for since Gustavo Kuerten was winning three French Open titles in 1997, 2000 and 2001. In the month after the Australian Open Fonseca won his maiden tour-level title in Buenos Aires and he now boasts an 11-7 tour-level season record. Brazilian teenager João Fonseca is making a habit of drawing big crowds at tennis tournaments - and of beating seeded opponents in his Grand Slam debuts. Fonseca, the 2023 US Open junior champion and currently ranked 65th, played his first match in the main draw of a major at the Australian Open in January, when he knocked off No.9 seed Andrey Rublev. On Tuesday the 18-year-old delighted a loud and overflowing group of spectators at 1500-capacity Court 7 and won the first French Open match of his nascent career, brushing past 30th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz 6-2 6-4 6-2. In doing so he became the second-youngest men's match winner at the clay-court major in the past 10 years, behind only an 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in 2021. "I'm young, and I'm getting the experience of everything now," said Fonseca "So I'm learning a lot from this circuit and this environment." Last year's champion at the Next Gen ATP Finals, Fonseca needed just one hour, 40 minutes to wrap up the victory, producing more than twice as many winners, 36, as unforced errors, 15, and repeatedly delivering booming forehands. "I mean, he's (got) a very powerful game," said Hurkacz, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2021 by beating Roger Federer in the last match of the 20-time major champion's career. "He's definitely an all-around player and can develop a lot. It's difficult to play against him." All along, Fonseca heard plenty of support from the Brazilians who haven't had a Grand Slam champion to cheer for since Gustavo Kuerten was winning three French Open titles in 1997, 2000 and 2001. In the month after the Australian Open Fonseca won his maiden tour-level title in Buenos Aires and he now boasts an 11-7 tour-level season record. Brazilian teenager João Fonseca is making a habit of drawing big crowds at tennis tournaments - and of beating seeded opponents in his Grand Slam debuts. Fonseca, the 2023 US Open junior champion and currently ranked 65th, played his first match in the main draw of a major at the Australian Open in January, when he knocked off No.9 seed Andrey Rublev. On Tuesday the 18-year-old delighted a loud and overflowing group of spectators at 1500-capacity Court 7 and won the first French Open match of his nascent career, brushing past 30th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz 6-2 6-4 6-2. In doing so he became the second-youngest men's match winner at the clay-court major in the past 10 years, behind only an 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in 2021. "I'm young, and I'm getting the experience of everything now," said Fonseca "So I'm learning a lot from this circuit and this environment." Last year's champion at the Next Gen ATP Finals, Fonseca needed just one hour, 40 minutes to wrap up the victory, producing more than twice as many winners, 36, as unforced errors, 15, and repeatedly delivering booming forehands. "I mean, he's (got) a very powerful game," said Hurkacz, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2021 by beating Roger Federer in the last match of the 20-time major champion's career. "He's definitely an all-around player and can develop a lot. It's difficult to play against him." All along, Fonseca heard plenty of support from the Brazilians who haven't had a Grand Slam champion to cheer for since Gustavo Kuerten was winning three French Open titles in 1997, 2000 and 2001. In the month after the Australian Open Fonseca won his maiden tour-level title in Buenos Aires and he now boasts an 11-7 tour-level season record. Brazilian teenager João Fonseca is making a habit of drawing big crowds at tennis tournaments - and of beating seeded opponents in his Grand Slam debuts. Fonseca, the 2023 US Open junior champion and currently ranked 65th, played his first match in the main draw of a major at the Australian Open in January, when he knocked off No.9 seed Andrey Rublev. On Tuesday the 18-year-old delighted a loud and overflowing group of spectators at 1500-capacity Court 7 and won the first French Open match of his nascent career, brushing past 30th-seeded Hubert Hurkacz 6-2 6-4 6-2. In doing so he became the second-youngest men's match winner at the clay-court major in the past 10 years, behind only an 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in 2021. "I'm young, and I'm getting the experience of everything now," said Fonseca "So I'm learning a lot from this circuit and this environment." Last year's champion at the Next Gen ATP Finals, Fonseca needed just one hour, 40 minutes to wrap up the victory, producing more than twice as many winners, 36, as unforced errors, 15, and repeatedly delivering booming forehands. "I mean, he's (got) a very powerful game," said Hurkacz, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2021 by beating Roger Federer in the last match of the 20-time major champion's career. "He's definitely an all-around player and can develop a lot. It's difficult to play against him." All along, Fonseca heard plenty of support from the Brazilians who haven't had a Grand Slam champion to cheer for since Gustavo Kuerten was winning three French Open titles in 1997, 2000 and 2001. In the month after the Australian Open Fonseca won his maiden tour-level title in Buenos Aires and he now boasts an 11-7 tour-level season record.
