Hamad Medjedovic Shuts Up Crowd with ‘Sleep’ Celebration After Joao Fonseca Rome Win

Joao Fonseca once again crashed out in the early round of a tournament this year. In the ongoing Italian Open, the Brazilian ace registered a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1) defeat at the hands of Hamad Medjedovic in the opening round.

As expected from a Fonseca match, the majority of the crowd cheered for him. But their frequent interruptions got under the nerves of the Serbian ace, who also approached the chair umpire to complain. After winning the last point of the match, Medjedovic shook hands with Fonseca and produced a ‘sleep’ celebration to shut up the fans before he blew kisses toward them.

Watch the video here:

Medjedovic casi pierde un partido que tenía doble break en el tercero.

La grada brasileña se vino encima de Fonseca, pudiendo cruzar la falta de respeto.

La respuesta del serbio:

Mandarlos a dormir 😴 pic.twitter.com/qtAJiEvChS https://t.co/0UsWWMRNUs

— José Morón (@jmgmoron) May 9, 2026

The crowd helped me a lot. His fans helped me a lot. I think they were… I will not comment on it, but they helped me a lot. I think I was very, as some would say, ‘locked in’ after being down 6-5 in the 3rd. I was just quiet and wanted to give my best, and that’s it. I’m really happy to be through.

Hamad Medjedovic said during the on-court interview

It was Medjedovic’s first match against the 19-year-old. Medjedovic will next be locking horns with Mariano Navone, who knocked out Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Medjedovic has reached the third round of a Masters 1000 tournament for the third time in his career. He will be playing in the third round of the Rome event for the second time, following the 2024 season, when he also made his debut in the tournament.

Medjedovic has so far played two singles finals, losing both. He lost the 2024 Belgrade Open final to Denis Shapovalov and later the Open 13 final to Ugo Humbert.

Joao Fonseca on his fans after their controversial behavior

Even Joao Fonseca is not happy with his fans’ behavior. During his interview with TennisNews, the teenager compared his fans to those of the football crowd.

There were too many breaks. I won’t say that was the reason for the defeat, but the audience influences the matches. They not only harm my opponent but also me. Sometimes they think it’s a football match. I love to have their support, but there has to be a limit… This is an opportunity to keep learning and evolving. I must keep my head up and work hard.

Joao Fonseca told TennisNews

Fonseca made his debut at the Italian Open last year and suffered a first-round exit. His best performance at a Masters 1000 event came in this year’s Monte Carlo as he reached the quarterfinals and lost the match to three-time Grand Slam finalist Alexander Zverev.

Fonseca, after winning the Next-Gen ATP Finals in 2024, lifted his first tour-level title at the 2025 Argentina Open, defeating Francisco Cerundolo. He then lifted his career’s first ATP 500 title at the Swiss Indoors by beating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Next is the Roland Garros. Fonseca made his debut in the clay-court Major last year and reached the third round, losing to Jack Draper. It was also his best performance in a Major, along with his third-round appearance in last year’s Wimbledon.

Hamad Medjedovic, on the other hand, reached the third round of the clay-court Major last year, and it was also his best performance in a Grand Slam tournament. He lost to Daniel Altmaier last year.

At the French Open, two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz won’t be playing after a wrist injury forced him to withdraw. World No.1 Jannik Sinner, whom the seven-time Grand Slam champion defeated last year, will be chasing the Career Grand Slam in the event.

Also read: Jessica Pegula Shares her Stance on Potential Grand Slam Boycott Over Prize Money Dispute

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