ROLAND GARROS

June 3, 2026

Joao Fonseca

Press Conference

J. MENSIK/J. Fonseca

6-4, 6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Bad luck today, Joao, but how do you look back at the two weeks in Paris and your first Grand Slam quarterfinal?

JOAO FONSECA: Yeah, tough match today, but really positive week. Played good tennis this week, and yeah, coming from a little injury and not, like, having any expectations for this tournament and doing a great run. So, yeah, like I said, tough today, but for sure this is a positive week.

Yeah, looking forward for the next tournaments. This tournament gives me more conviction and more confidence to keep going and for sure understanding a little bit more body and my limits.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Bad luck, but the 12th game of the third set was deserved to be on a movie. I mean, six match points saved. Beautiful shots here and there. I mean, were you thinking that winning that you could have won that third set, and you had the physical energies to get back and recover from two sets down or not? Were you optimistic or not?

JOAO FONSECA: Well, I was just thinking about winning that game and not thinking about the rest of the match. Just tried to produce the best things I could at that moment and trying to fight.

I did my best today. I think I put all I had on court, but yeah, unfortunately it was Jakub's day. He played good tennis. I wish him good luck.

I don't think I played bad today. Yeah, I think in the 12th game of the third set I was just trying to hold what I got and, yeah, tried to put it all in that game and maybe let him think a little bit on the tiebreak. Maybe I win the set.

I don't know. I just tried to do my best and tried to win the set.

Q. I just wanted to ask you about Jakub and what you made of the level of his performance and I guess his potential, as well.

JOAO FONSECA: Sorry. Can you repeat?

Q. I just wanted to ask you what you made of Jakub's performance, how he played so well and kind of, I guess, about his potential just beyond just this match.

JOAO FONSECA: I mean, his serve is amazing. The way he deal with the important points is also really impressive. Yeah, I think he controlled most of the part of the match, serving pretty well and doing the entrance with the return pretty well, as well.

His return, both first and second serve, are pretty into the court, and he puts a lot of pressure on the opponent. Today, yeah, he missed a very small amount of returns. I think that put me in a tough position today.

Yeah, I think it was his merit. I tried to put as much as I could on my returns, but he did well the serve and volley. He was serving very good.

Yeah, I'll say he has a really good potential. I mean, he already won a Masters. He's doing his first semifinal. He plays good. Most important, he knows how to play in important moments.

He's not afraid. He's courage, and wish him all the best because he's a nice and humble guy.

Q. Just wondering what type of confidence you're going to take into the grass season now and how comfortable are you on that surface?

JOAO FONSECA: I like playing on grass. I think it's fun. But, yeah, I think it's one step at a time. I always have fun on grass. Unfortunately, it's just a small swing.

But, yeah, looking forward to reset now, finally going back home. Maybe one week maximum staying there, and yeah, going to enjoy a little bit with the family and then go again for another swing.

Q. Jakub was kind of shocked by the level of the game he played tonight with you. He used the word "insane," I guess, and it's true that the level was insane. You experienced two other big, big matches here in Roland Garros this year against Novak and Casper. Tonight did the level of play seem very high for you also in terms of experience, feeling the game? Was it close to Novak and Casper or even higher, like maybe it was...

JOAO FONSECA: It's different types of games. It's different types of days. Different type of surface today. Today the roof was closed. It was much slower. The ball was getting bigger.

Yeah, I mean, like I said other day, which the mind sometimes is different. Yeah, the level of the game was pretty impressive. I mean, today I think the most different thing was -- the type of his game is, like I said, he stays very much to the baseline and put always the opponent like he was suffocating. You know, he likes to go for it.

Yeah, he went pretty well through the match. That was pretty good. Yeah, for sure the level was really high. I don't know. I can't, like, say very much if it was like the same, but I'll say it was the level of the other matches.

Maybe he played better a little bit, but like I said, today was not me playing bad. It was all his merit.

Q. There must be a difference between the Joao Fonseca before Roland Garros and today's Fonseca. What did you discover about yourself? What did you find about Joao Fonseca, the player, after these two weeks?

JOAO FONSECA: Still the same guy, for sure. Just knowing a little bit better his limits. Didn't know if I could handle a five-hour match or a four-hour match. I never saw my limit yet, but I already know that I can be comfortable with my physique.

Yeah, I think it's more comfortable with my game, the way that I'm playing, that my mentality is on the right path. I think after two matches that I had, losing the first two sets and then trying to do another things and trying to find other ways to play, and got through.

So, yeah, I think maybe it's the same Joao, but with finding new stuff, you know?