Joao Fonseca’s marvellous run at the 2026 French Open came to an end on Tuesday evening.
Fonseca was beaten by an in-form Jakub Mensik, falling to a 4-6, 4-6, 6-7 loss on Court Philippe Chatrier.
It was a spirited performance by the young Brazilian, who saved six match points before surrendering the contest after two hours and 33 minutes.
Despite the loss, Fonseca can take great pride in his performances in the French capital.
Who are you backing to make it further at Wimbledon and why? Jakub Mensik or Joao Fonseca? 🤔
The young Brazilian has beaten the likes of Novak Djokovic and Casper Ruud, demonstrating his status as one of the best and brightest talents in the sport.
As for Jakub Mensik, the 20-year-old Czech star demonstrated an incredibly high level of tennis throughout Tuesday’s contest.
Mensik’s performance did not go unnoticed, with many – including Fonseca himself – praising the Czech’s level on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Joao Fonseca says Jakub Mensik’s serve was ‘amazing’
“His serve is amazing,” the Brazilian said during his post-match press conference. “The way he deals with important [points] is also really impressive and I think he controlled most of the parts of the match.
“Serving pretty well and during the entrance with the return pretty well as well. His return, first and second serve are pretty into the court and he puts a lot of pressure on the openings.
“Today he missed a very small amount of returns and I think that put me in a tough position today. I think that was his merit.
“I tried to put as much as I could on my returns, but he did well,” Fonseca continued. “The serve and volley, he was serving very good. I will say he has really good potential.
“He has already won a Masters, he’s doing his first semi-final.
How many Grand Slam titles will Joao Fonseca win in his career?
What a match!
“He plays good and most important he knows how to play in the important moments.
“He’s not afraid, he’s courageous, and I wish him all the best because he’s a nice and humble guy.”
Fonseca will now turn his attention towards the grass-court swing.
Last year, the Brazilian achieved mixed results on the grass surface, first suffering a first-round exit at the Terra Wortmann Open.
The youngster then travelled to Eastbourne, where he was defeated in the second round by eventual champion Taylor Fritz.
At Wimbledon, Fonseca enjoyed an impressive run to the third round, beating Jacob Fearnley and Jenson Brooksby.
Fonseca was defeated in the third round by Nicolas Jarry.
Joao Fonseca set to rise up the rankings
Fonseca came into the French Open ranked 30th on the ATP Tour.
After recording a quarter-final performance, the Brazilian is set to gain 300 ATP ranking points and rise to world number 25.
Fonseca is set to overtake Frances Tiafoe, Francisco Cerundolo, Tommy Paul, Cameron Norrie and Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
ATP Live Rankings
- 21 – Arthur Fils
- 22 – Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
- 23 – Rafael Jodar
- 24 – Arthur Rinderknech
- 25 – Joao Fonseca
- 26 – Frances Tiafoe
- 27 – Francisco Cerundolo
- 28 – Tommy Paul
- 29 – Cameron Norrie
- 30 – Tomas Martin Etcheverry
By performing so well in Paris, Fonseca has given himself a great chance of being seeded for this year’s Wimbledon Championships.
Fonseca, of course, will hope to continue his ascendancy over the next few months, and achieve a new career-high ranking.
Fonseca’s career-high is world number 24, which is achieved on November 3 last year.
