Joao Fonseca Hype Train Derails Down Under

Brazilian teenage sensation Joao Fonseca suffered a surprise early exit in the first round of the Australian Open to World No.85 Eliot Spizzirri, who was making his main-draw debut Down Under.

The defeat marks Fonseca’s first ever Round 1 loss at a Grand Slam; he was previously 4-0. His most notable first round win came in Melbourne last year, where a then-relatively-unknown 18-year-old Fonseca burst onto the scene by defeating 9th seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets.

Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail

Fonseca looked physically hampered, calling a medical time out on his way to defeat, and it begs the question should he have even played? He withdrew from both Adelaide and Brisbane due to back problems and it was clear he wasn’t at 100% in Melbourne, with his usually rocket-like forehand far from its jaw-dropping best.

Perhaps the questions need to be raised towards his team; instead of making the most of the off-season, Fonseca travelled to Miami for an exhibition against Carlos Alcaraz. Fonseca may be forgiven for saying yes to the event; he was probably paid an extraordinary amount to be there–but a member of his team should have perhaps stepped in and advised him against going.

Back injuries are not to be taken lightly, and Fonseca attempting to play through such problems may well come back to haunt him. Pulling out of Adelaide and Brisbane was undoubtably the correct decision, and he probably should done the same in Melbourne as well.

Not Quite the New ‘Big Three’

Tennis is being completely dominated by the latest duopoly on the block–Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The two have shared the last eight Major titles equally, and after Fonseca’s breakthrough Down Under last year, fans–perhaps overexcitedly–tipped Fonseca to be the one to challenge them.

In fairness to Fonseca, he cannot help the comparisons, and it is mostly fuelled by the media and fans alike in an attempt to recreate the original “Big 3” that we all know and love. While of course that may well still happen, it is certainly a far cry away from it being the case.

But, if Fonseca takes the time to properly recover from this back injury, then who knows what might happen. The young Brazilian is still just 19 years old, but possesses one of the best forehands on tour which could take him right to the top.