Joao Fonseca dives into one ‘effective’ shot that he is working on to maximize his results on clay

Joao Fonseca will face 11th seed Tommy Paul in the second round of the Madrid Open.

Joao Fonseca dives into one ‘effective’ shot that he is working on to maximize his results on clay

Joao Fonseca (Image via X/Joao Fonseca Updates)

Brazilian teen sensation Joao Fonseca is currently competing in the Mutua Madrid Open. In his opening round match, the 18-year-old cruised past Denmark’s Elmer Moller in straight sets to set up a second-round match against 11th seed Tommy Paul. Fonseca has not progressed beyond the Round of 32 in an ATP Masters 1000 event. He reached this round in the Miami Open, where he lost to Alex de Minaur. 

Fonseca, who loves the clay surface, believes that the drop shot is a very effective shot on this surface. He had successfully used the drop shot during some of his matches in his title run at the Argentina Open this year, where he defeated Francisco Cerundolo in the finals. 

I work a lot on it when I play on clay. Sometimes it’s difficult to execute, unlike on hard courts, but on clay, it’s a very effective shot. Because people tend to stay more defensively, more about five meters behind the baseline. I like to go for winners, so sometimes I move a lot with my forehand, and then the guys are more like five meters from the baseline. And then sometimes, I don’t know, they think I’m going for the winner, and sometimes the drop shot is very effective, but it has to be done at the right moment.

Joao Fonseca told the reporters

In the Madrid Open press conference, Fonseca acknowledged that his upcoming opponent also likes to play on clay and expects a tough match with him. They both practiced together last year in Madrid too. He also added that he is excited for the match, and he’ll prepare, think about the match, focus on training, discuss the strategy with his team, and go all out on Saturday. 

Several top players have appreciated Joao Fonseca

Though he just made his debut last year, Joao Fonseca has already garnered the attention and praise of tennis icons due to his impressive strides. Andy Murray has often expressed his excitement in his tweets for watching Fonseca and has also called him an amazing talent in one of his tweets. 

Joao Fonseca (2)
Joao Fonseca (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

Akin to Fonseca, Iga Swiatek, who also loves the clay surface, has praised the Brazilian teenager’s game too. The WTA World No. 2 admitted to having a hard time finding someone in the ATP tour who impressed her after her idol Rafael Nadal’s retirement but made an exception for Carlos Alcaraz and Fonseca, stating that she loves their game. 

Juan Martin del Potro also believes that Fonseca can win a Grand Slam someday in the future. The retired Argentine tennis star feels that Fonseca has a strategy similar to his, playing a lot with serve and forehand, and hopes that he can carry on his legacy as the flag bearer of South American tennis. 

Joao Fonseca has a tough draw in the Madrid Open

If Joao Fonseca scales through Tommy Paul in the second round, he could face the in-form Karen Khachanov in the third round. Khachanov, who reached the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open last week before succumbing to eventual champion Holger Rune, will be tough competition. 

Novak Djokovic, Joao Fonseca
Novak Djokovic, Joao Fonseca (Image via X/Wolfy, @Alejandro Lopez Fernandez)


A win over the Russian star will earn him a potential clash against Matteo Berrettini or Jack Draper in the fourth round. It will be very difficult for Fonseca to scale through these stages, but if he does, he might face Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. Fonseca has previously expressed his desire to face Djokovic, especially in a tournament like the Roland Garros.

Also Read: Joao Fonseca says he doesn’t like comparison with Brazilian legend Gustavo Kuerten as he aims to “create his own story”