Fonseca after his elimination in Rio: "I wasn't myself on the court".
The Rio de Janeiro tournament got underway on Monday, and the Brazilian public were excited to welcome their prodigy, João Fonseca, 18-year-old winner of his first-ever ATP title in Buenos Aires last week.
Fonseca, who was making his debut at the tournament he entered two years ago on a five-match winning streak, faced Alexandre Muller in the first round.
But the match did not go according to plan for the Brazilian, who left his home tournament in the first round, beaten by the Frenchman in two sets (6-1, 7-6).
In a press conference, João Fonseca expressed his disappointment after the match.
"I knew I was going to be nervous today. I knew I had to face the situation with the public behind me, and I couldn't handle the pressure.
I didn't play my tennis, I wasn't happy. I wasn't myself on the court. Tonight I'll be angry, but tomorrow (Wednesday) I'll take a day off.
On Thursday, I'll be back in training. It's going to be a long year and a long career. I'm going to learn from this match.
I felt 100% fit today. It was all in the mind", Fonseca concluded.
