Joao Fonseca Frustrated After Shocking Argentina Open Defeat

Joao Fonseca is yet to win a tour-level match this season.

Joao Fonseca Frustrated After Shocking Argentina Open Defeat

Joao Fonseca (via Davis Cup)

In Short
  • Joao Fonseca lost in the second round of the Argentina Open to Alejandro Tabilo, failing to defend his title.
  • The 19-year-old has not won a tour-level match this season and is struggling with confidence after a back injury.
  • Fonseca expressed frustration over missed opportunities during the match, which may impact his ATP ranking.

Joao Fonseca’s terrible start to the 2026 season shows no sign of easing off anytime soon, as the Brazilian teenager fell in the second round of the Argentina Open. Despite being the defending champion and crowd favorite in the match, he was nowhere near his best against Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in Buenos Aires.

Fonseca has yet to win a tour-level match this season, which he started later than he originally planned due to a lower back injury. The 19-year-old sustained the injury during the preseason tour, with reports suggesting it occurred during his exhibition tour in the United States of America in December.

He was meant to kick off his 2026 season at the Brisbane International, but he shockingly withdrew, citing injury. He was forced to play at the Australian Open without a warm-up event, and that showed in his game as he collapsed to American star Eliot Spizzirri in the first round in four sets in Melbourne.

He flew to Argentina to defend his ATP 500 title in Buenos Aires, but in his opening match, he was shocked by Tabilo’s performance. The Brazilian star hit 29 winners, but produced a costly 33 unforced errors during the rollercoaster match against the Chilean. He fell to Tabilo 3-6, 6-3, 5-7 on the red dirt.

He did well in the final set, coming from 1-3 down to pushing until he was broken in 5-6. If he had stayed in the match, perhaps it would have ended differently. Speaking to the media after the defeat, Fonseca admitted his frustration at his performance, pointing out that he lacked confidence in his game on the court:

It was a difficult match. The fact that I was entering the court as the champion made me feel tense the whole time, but I fought and fought and tried to do my best. I had some opportunities, but I lacked conviction and confidence. But I’m sure the results will come. I’m leaving with my head held high. At the beginning of the match, he surprised me by starting to return inside the court, and that put a lot of pressure on me in the first few games.

Tabilo is known for playing great tennis on clay courts. The Chilean defeated Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters last year and had defeated the Serbian legend at the Italian Open in 2024. He will face the experienced Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round of the Argentina Open.

Joao Fonseca bemoans his lack of taking advantage of opportunities in the opening match

Joao Fonseca made a name for himself last season when he defeated Andrey Rublev in the first round of the Australian Open. He went on to claim two ATP 500 titles on the court and has been dubbed the one who will challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner this season. But after his opening match loss at the Argentine Open, there seems to be a worrying sign about the 19-year-old’s game.

Joao Fonseca
Joao Fonseca (Image via X/#MMOpen)

In the third set against Alejandro Tabilo, Fonseca has a glorious chance to stay in the match at 5-6, but he allows the Chilean star to break his serve. During the aforementioned press conference, Fonseca bemoaned himself for not taking advantage of the opportunity in the third set after winning the second set:

I see that more as his merit than my fault, especially since he continued to serve well. Then I managed to break him in the second set. The opportunity arose, and I was able to take advantage of it. At the level I’m playing now, you have to take those chances, even if you’re not playing at your best. I tried everything to motivate myself. I was pissed off with my legs, which weren’t moving the way they needed to.

Fonseca is expected to drop out of the top 35 in the ATP rankings after failing to defend 500 ranking points at the Argentina Open. He hopes to return to his best as soon as possible, as his next tournament is the Rio Open in Brazil.

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