'It also bothers me': Joao Fonseca calls for moderation from Brazilian fans after Rome Open defeat

Joao Fonseca called for moderation from the Brazilian crowd following his defeat in the second round of the Italian Open. The Brazilian spoke with ESPN Brasil after his defeat against Serbian player Hamad Medjedovic by 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(1), a match marked by the constant interruptions from the Brazilian crowd that attended to support him.

Since his breakthrough on Tour, Fonseca has become one of the crowd favourites and his matches have been marked by a fervent atmosphere. The Brazilian crowd has been characterised by its passion in supporting what has been their most outstanding male representative since Gustavo Kuerten, and the expectation he generates is beginning to become a problem due to the interruptions during his matches.

“Too many interruptions. I’m not going to say that was the reason for the loss, because it wasn’t. But the crowd really matters; Brazilian fans sometimes think it’s a football match,” he said to ESPN Brazil. “I love the crowd, but there has to be a small limit.”

The World No. 29 says goodbye to Rome in the second round, although there are still clay-court challenges remaining, with the Hamburg Open scheduled for next week – his final tournament before travelling to French Open.

Fonseca admits crowd interruptions also affect his own game

The clash between former champions of the Next Gen ATP Finals had the crowd almost completely in favour of Fonseca. The fans constantly interrupted the young Serbian, who even had a particular celebration after the match, making the controversial ‘go to sleep’ gesture towards the spectators after defeating the South American.

Fonseca acknowledged that the noise and interruptions mid-match – or between serves – are not only a distraction for his rivals, but even for himself, which harms the spectacle. “It doesn’t only bother the player, it also bothers me. So, it’s just a request, but I still enjoy playing with the crowd, with the people cheering for me,” Fonseca mentioned.