Making a quick turnaround after winning his first ATP title on Sunday in Buenos Aires, Joao Fonseca’s Rio Open campaign lasted all of one match. The 18-year-old Brazilian lost in front of the home crowd 6-1, 7-6(4) to Alexandre Muller during first-round action on Tuesday night.
Fonseca had only one day off in between Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. It was a difficult proposition from a physical standpoint, but the mental toll is what really weighed on the reigning NextGen ATP Finals champion. He lost the first five games of the match
“I knew I would get nervous,” Fonseca admitted, “that I would have to [deal with] playing [in front of] so many people. I tried with all my strength to face the moment but I couldn’t. It’s part of the sport. It’s about learning from these experiences to become stronger.
“I was 100 percent physically. I managed to get two good nights of sleep and rest well. Today had nothing to do with the physical (part); it was the mental part…. I can only thank the fans and the Brazilian people for their affection. I’m sad that I won’t be able to play another match with the best crowd in the world. I’ll work hard to have more moments like this in the future.”
As for the immediate future, Fonseca’s next tournament on his current calendar is the Indian Wells Masters. He would be the top seed in qualifying as it stands right now but is probably in line for a main-draw wild card.
tough one