BUENOS AIRES
– When I see Joao Fonseca playing, when I see him become champion in Buenos Aires, winning his first ATP title, the first thing I think about is how good he is. Yes, how good he is! And then, on second analysis, I see something else, I see a mini Juan Martín del Potro.
Fonseca is only 18 years old, but he’s the ideal height, he has all the shots and he knows how to play, even though he still has a lot to learn. What does he have to learn? Well, to choose the shots with maximum power, because at the moment he smashes the ball with every shot. And that, as we know, works at 18, but not in the longer term.
In any case, what impresses me most about Fonseca is his head: he keeps going with his game, no matter what.
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Why do I say he’s a mini Del Potro? Because of the way he plays: he holds the point with his backhand and, when he has the opportunity, he hits a very powerful forehand, often an inverted forehand.
That forehand reminds me of De Del Potro’s: it’s a heavy ball, coming out strongly from the racket. It’s not a fast, light forehand, it’s heavy and forceful.
How does he do it? It has a lot to do with his physique. The long arms, the leverage he has. That leverage allows him to hit the ball very hard without making any effort, and that’s what’s so impressive.
But please don’t say he’s ‘the new Guga Kuerten’: Fonseca has nothing to do with Kuerten. For a start, Guga hit with the backhand of one hand, Fonseca hits with two hands.
I’m often asked if I see Fonseca as a future world number one: what I can say is that he has a high ceiling, a great margin and the potential to do really great things.
