Joao Fonseca Believes He Needs to Work on His Mentality After Loss to Rafael Jodar in Madrid

Joao Fonseca fell to Rafael Jodar in three sets in the third round of the Madrid Open.

Joao Fonseca Believes He Needs to Work on His Mentality After Loss to Rafael Jodar in Madrid

Joao Fonseca and Rafael Jodar (via X/Puntodebreak)

Joao Fonseca has admitted that he needs to improve his mindset on the court after losing to Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar in the third round of the Madrid Open. Fonseca was the favorite to win the tie heading into the match as he was better experienced and equipped to nullify Jodar’s tactical game, but the Brazilian star fell apart in the third set of the clash.

Fonseca, the 27th seed, was playing his first match at the Madrid Open against Jodar. He was meant to take on Marin Cilic in the second round, but the former US Open champion withdrew from the match due to food poisoning. But even though he had to wait for two more days to play a match in Madrid, he entered the tournament at the back of a quarter-finals run in Munich.

The 19-year-old also reached the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters, his first-ever last eight in an ATP 1000 tournament. However, Jodar looked more confident than Fonseca following his first top 10 win of his career against Alex de Minaur in the second round. With the backing of the crowd, he claimed the first set against Fonseca.

Fonseca came alive in the second set, hitting powerful forehand shots and incredible service game, while Jodar often had to turn to his defensive style. The Brazilian star broke the Spaniard in the fifth game and then forced a decider. In the third set, Fonseca crumbled as he lost five consecutive games and only produced one winner.

The 2024 Argentina Open champion looked lost in the decider, which allowed Jodar to run rampant, winning the match 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-1. After the match, Fonseca was not pleased with his performance, he admitted that Jodar had better mental toughness in the crucial moments of their clash at the Madrid Open:

Of course, there was a technical strategy in place. However, I think the most important aspect of the match was the mental game. We both stepped onto the court feeling a bit nervous, which is completely normal. It was my first match in Madrid, while for him it was his third. Plus, we were two young players facing off against each other, which inevitably leads us to overthink things. He got the first break, and then I managed to break back. We were both playing at a high level.

This year is Jodar’s first full season on the ATP Tour, Fonseca is two years older than him on tour. But this season, Jodar has achieved more than Fonseca. The Spaniard already has a title to his name, which he claimed at the Marrakesh Open. He also reached the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open with a wildcard.

Joao Fonseca says he has to have a better attitude on the court

Joao Fonseca has won 10 matches this season, far fewer than he won at this same time last season. At the Sunshine Double, he was given the benefit of the doubt for losing to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. But he failed to give a convincing performance against Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton in Monte Carlo and Munich.

Joao Fonseca
Joao Fonseca (via Davis Cup)

The Brazilian teenager has struggled to live up to expectations of challenging Alcaraz and Sinner. He’s currently ranked World No.29 in the ATP rankings, five places below his career-high ranking. During the aforementioned press conference, he admitted that his attitude needs to be better on the court:

I missed some shots I shouldn’t have missed. He took advantage of his opportunity, played well, and won it. My attitude on the court needs to be better. It’s an area we need to work on. In that sense, I feel that it was undoubtedly a difficult match. My main focus was on the mental aspect, since I knew we were both feeling the pressure. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to manage it in the third set.

While Fonseca continues to drop in the ATP rankings, Rafael Jodar continues to rise. At the start of the year, he was World No.168, but he’s currently ranked No.42. Since reaching the third round of the Miami Open as a qualifier, he has lost just two matches on tour. He’s set to break into the top 40 after the Madrid Open.

Also Read: Joao Fonseca Makes ‘Attitude’ Admission After Smashing Racket During Rafa Jodar Defeat in Madrid