Alcaraz already ‘fears’ Fonseca: “His name will be on the list of the best very soon”

Carlos Alcaraz faced his second round match at this Australian Open 2025 as a mere formality. Many positive conclusions after his match against Nishioka, where he always took the lead and notably showed improvement in his serve, not conceding any breaks and achieving excellent numbers with his first serve. He spoke about that and more in the press conferencewhere he also confessed to being impressed by the level shown by who may soon be a direct competitor: João Fonseca.

– About his improvements in serving compared to the first match

“Above all, the main thing is the ball toss. In the first match, I had trouble finding a good rhythm with the toss; sometimes I threw it too far forward, other times too low, never finding the right point, and in the end the serve is practically the most important, finding the right toss, the right stance, and from there making a good motion. Yesterday we emphasized the serve more, finding the right rhythm and impact on both the first and second serves, and today the toss was very positive: I could throw the ball in the same spot more consistently and without much variation. It was a very positive match, which gives me a lot of confidence for the upcoming matches regarding serving; hopefully, we continue like this and even better.”

– If he prioritizes choosing the court (Rod Laver or Margaret Court) or the schedule (day or night)

“I prioritize the schedule over the court. The Rod Laver is fantastic and where you will play in the final rounds, but to me, Margaret Court is also a wonderful court, it’s amazing as well and plays very nicely. For now, in these early rounds, I prefer that if I am winning, I can have more rest time and not accumulate fatigue with the schedule, being able to rest well at night, rather than playing on the Central Court and getting little sleep, going to bed late, and making the days long. I don’t like playing at night; I prefer playing in the daytime session because after the match, I can recover much better and go to bed at a good time.”

– About if he saw the Australian Open’s initiative to broadcast the match on YouTube with the “Wii format” characters

“It’s a rather good alternative. I’m not sure what the issue is with the rights and television, no idea, but for people who can’t pay to watch the matches, it’s a good alternative. I find it funny; I’ve seen some videos of my character at certain points, and I find it amusing. It has been a good option for people who want to watch tennis and can’t.”

– About if he watched Fonseca’s match and if he thinks he can win a Grand Slam

“I watched a bit, yes. I couldn’t see the entire match, but I saw the beginning and the end. What can I say? Simply amazing. The way he played in his first Grand Slam match against a top-10 player was impressive. The way he approached the match, how he handled everything, how he kept his nerves in check, was fantastic. He’s someone I must be careful with. I have to watch him. He’ll be there. It’s just the beginning of the year; he only has one Slam victory, but he will be there. Let’s put Joao Fonseca’s name on the list of the world’s best players very soon.”

– About if he feels the balls are a bit heavier than last year

“They could be slightly heavier compared to the end of last year, as two months have passed. I train with different balls in the preseason, so I can’t compare them to last year’s; I don’t remember them too well. I feel them slightly heavier. The conditions are fast, the courts are fast, and when it’s hot, even more. However, the ball may be slightly heavier.”

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