Joao Fonseca is a Grand Slam quarter-finalist, having beaten Casper Ruud earlier tonight in a thrilling four-set encounter.
It marks the continuation of what has been a truly outstanding week for the 19-year-old, who has established himself as one of the most improved players on tour.
And, with how wide-open the Roland Garros draw is, there are many who are starting to believe that he could genuinely win the whole thing.
Joao Fonseca has proven himself a threat to anyone he faces, with Jakub Mensik next up.
However, before looking ahead to that match-up, he was discussing his win on court.
Joao Fonseca reacts after reaching the Roland Garros quarter-finals
Chatting with Mats Wilander on Philippe Chatrier, Fonseca began by assessing the win.
He claimed: “Well, it was tough. Casper plays good here. I mean, he’s a very experienced guy and he knows how to play here on this amazing court. So, I mean, he has two finals, so it was tough at the beginning, but I played really good in the moments in the first and second set. And I was very happy because of that.”
How many Grand Slam titles will Joao Fonseca win in his career?
What a match!
Asked how he always seems to make the right decisions, Fonseca admitted: “It’s more like heart, you know, or mind. I don’t know, I just try to be me on the court, and try to be happy, try to hit the winners, try to hit good shots, so try to be entertaining, so I just try to be me, and that’s what it is.”
This young Brazilian will have been acutely aware of who was watching on in the stands, with Gustavo Kuerten a legendary spectator watching his countryman shine on Philippe Chatrier.
Fonseca recently named his tennis GOAT, but he had similarly legendary words for this man too: “I mean, he’s an idol. He’s an idol for our sport, for our country. And I mean, for his charisma, for the way that he is, for how humble he is.
“He was here for my first time at Roland Garros, my first match as a junior, and it’s a pleasure to have him here. It’s a pleasure to win in front of a very tough opponent in front of him, so I’m just very happy.”
Fonseca concluded with an update on his fitness: “I feel tired, you know. It’s always a first time for me. It’s a new experience getting through to the second week of a Grand Slam is always tough, but it’s all heart, you know? We try to put heart and just focus point by point, and that’s what it is.”
John McEnroe reacts after watching Joao Fonseca reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals
Speaking live on TNT Sports’ broadcast, John McEnroe was unsurprisingly effusive in his praise for Fonseca.
After all, he knew he had just witnessed greatness, with the Brazilian backing up his win over Novak Djokovic earlier this week with another great triumph, this time over a two-time Roland Garros finalist.
The American pundit claimed: “One of the toughest things to do in sports is to live up to that hype, and for a while he probably struggled with it.
Joao Fonseca will be the man to unsettle Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s duopoly over men’s tennis – Prove us wrong!
“I think even he talked about it, but finally after a couple of years of this he’s starting to figure it out and handle it and embrace it, and improve this game.
“He understands what it takes. That is absolutely a fantastic effort by Fonseca. Ruud gave it everything he had. Bottom line, it wasn’t enough.”
