Andy Roddick, much like the rest of the tennis world, was left stunned by what Joao Fonseca accomplished last night.
After all, coming off the back of a dramatic comeback win against Novak Djokovic, many feared that he might have expended all his energy in claiming such an iconic victory.
However, he arguably followed that with an even more complete display, showcasing incredible solidity to outlast Casper Ruud and reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals.
Speaking on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast, the American was unsurprisingly keen to review what had been a thrilling night match on Philippe Chatrier.
And, when focusing on Joao Fonseca in particular, Andy Roddick argued that he boasts a quality that he has never seen before.
Andy Roddick left in awe after watching Joao Fonseca beat Casper Ruud
He began with a bold claim: “Fonseca and Ruud for about three sets was some of the best tennis that I have seen.”
Roddick added: “I know I keep saying that, but they were absolutely mashing the ball. How hard they were hitting it and how physical they were.
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“I am bummed this match had to be in the round of 16 also.”
However, that was not all he was disappointed about, expressing his sympathy for Ruud: “I am bummed for Casper. He has been a two-time finalist at this tournament. You hate to see anyone go down when they are playing that well, but I thought Fonseca, it was one of those ones where I was texting with Courier while he was on the broadcast and in that third set he looked gassed.
“I was going, is this one of those ones where he is up two sets to one but the body shuts down? Credit to him. He got real gritty in that fourth set. That could have turned in a nasty way.”
Roddick then turned his attention to the man of the moment, and reserved special praise for Fonseca and all he has accomplished during his first week in Paris.
He stated: “I feel like Fonseca has skipped three levels in this tournament. Last year he was around the same ranking, won some tournaments. Probably not as good a year as we would have hoped for him. He was 10-9 coming into this tournament. I feel like all of a sudden he is a top three to five player.
“He is playing unbelievable tennis. Gritty tennis, complete tennis, serving and volleying, he is flashing drop shots.
“The forehand is like nothing I have seen. It’s just this quick trigger. He can hit it three digits on command. It’s just wacky what he is doing.
“The backhand looks complete. I don’t think we have heard anything about ‘you have to watch the backhand’; he has been hitting it line perfectly.
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“His error count this tournament compared to what is normally is feels like it has halved. He is playing against Mensik and if he can get his body right, which is a big if, he looks really good for this event. He might skip some steps!”
This win was slightly marred by huge ELC controversy during Ruud’s loss to Fonseca, although the Norwegian did not let that flashpoint define what had been an enthralling encounter and a huge win for the teenager.
Joao Fonseca enjoys a career-best Grand Slam run at Roland Garros
Before this year’s Roland Garros, Fonseca’s best-ever run at a major saw him reach the third round, both here in Paris last year and then at the following Wimbledon.
Considering 2025 marked his first main draw appearances in all four Grand Slams, he performed admirably.
| Tournament | 2025 | 2026 |
| Australian Open | Second Round | First Round |
| Roland Garros | Third Round | Quarter-finals* |
| Wimbledon | Third Round | Tbc |
| US Open | Second Round | Tbc |
However, the 19-year-old sensation has smashed through the glass ceiling in the French capital this time around, having already made it into the quarter-finals.
And, with Jakub Mensik next up, he has a very real opportunity to reach the semi-finals as well. Fonseca has already delivered a fitness update ahead of that clash.
After many months of what people argued was an underperformance from this talented teenager, this tournament feels like a real breakthrough moment. It seems impossible to rule him out of challenging for the title as well.
