Fonseca points to mental fatigue for Rio Open loss, Indian Wells main draw awaits

Joao Fonseca said he was 100 percent physically for his first-round match at the Rio Open on Tuesday night, instead chalking up his loss to Alexander Muller to mental struggles. The 18-year-old was making a quick turnaround after capturing his first ATP title at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires on Sunday afternoon.

With only one full day off in between tournaments, Fonseca fell to Muller 6-1, 7-6 (4) in front of a packed Brazilian crowd.

“I knew I would get nervous,” said Fonseca, who lost the first five games of the match. “[I knew] 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.”

Fonseca’s immediate future includes an appearance in the main draw of the Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells. BNP Paribas Open officials announced their first wild-card recipients on Wednesday and the Brazilian is on the list along with Learner Tien. The 2024 NextGen ATP Finals saw Fonseca beat Tien in the championship match.

Fonseca had slated to be the top seed in Indian Wells prior to getting the wild card.

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