"I don't feel any disrespect from the French," assures Fonseca after his win against Herbert
João Fonseca has advanced to the third round of Roland-Garros for the first time in his career. The 18-year-old Brazilian confirmed his impressive debut victory over Hubert Hurkacz by dominating Pierre-Hugues Herbert (7-6, 7-6, 6-4 in nearly three hours of play).
This marks the first time Fonseca has reached the round of 16 at a Grand Slam, and he will face Jack Draper in an attempt to advance to the quarterfinals. After his match against the Frenchman, the rising star of Brazilian tennis shared his thoughts, particularly about the crowd.
"Making it to the third round at Roland Garros is a dream come true. I saw my grandmother come onto the court, and she was crying. It’s also my mom’s birthday, so reaching the third round is incredible.
What sets a great player apart is courage. You have to recognize the moments when it’s crucial to play your best tennis. In this match, I managed to do that very well.
I’m from Brazil, you know. It’s louder there. I didn’t feel any disrespect from the French. The crowd was very nice today. It was funny to hear the Brazilians shouting my name and the French cheering for PH (Herbert).
They showed respect for the players when it was needed," Fonseca explained in recent hours to L’Équipe.
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