Fonseca Credits Former Champion Kuerten for Brazilian Support at French Open 

Joao Fonseca of Brazil in action during his Men's 1st round match against Hubert Hurkacz of Poland at the French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 27 May 2025. (EPA) 
Joao Fonseca of Brazil in action during his Men's 1st round match against Hubert Hurkacz of Poland at the French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 27 May 2025. (EPA) 
TT
20

Fonseca Credits Former Champion Kuerten for Brazilian Support at French Open 

Joao Fonseca of Brazil in action during his Men's 1st round match against Hubert Hurkacz of Poland at the French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 27 May 2025. (EPA) 
Joao Fonseca of Brazil in action during his Men's 1st round match against Hubert Hurkacz of Poland at the French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 27 May 2025. (EPA) 

Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca began his French Open campaign with a 6-2 6-4 6-2 win over Hubert Hurkacz in front of a packed crowd on Court Seven and attributed the huge support to the popularity of compatriot and former champion Gustavo Kuerten.

All three of former world number one Kuerten's Grand Slam triumphs came at the French Open (1997, 2000 and 2001) and 18-year-old Fonseca said that he had made the tournament more popular with Brazilian tennis fans.

"I knew there is going to be a lot of Brazilians here in Paris, a lot of Brazilians living here and they come a lot," Fonseca told reporters after his win over 30th seed Hurkacz on Tuesday.

"I think because of Guga (Kuerten), because of the tradition, there is a lot of Brazilians."

One of the rising stars of the men's tour, Fonseca shocked ninth seed Andrey Rublev on his Grand Slam main draw debut at the Australian Open in January and became the youngest Brazilian to win an ATP tournament at the Argentina Open the following month.

Fonseca said he wanted to focus on improving himself instead of the growing pressure brought on by rising expectations.

"Sometimes the pressure is going to come. It's normal. You need to deal with it," he added.

Fonseca may not enjoy the same level of support in the next round on Thursday as he faces Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert.



Wimbledon Expansion Plan Set to Proceed after High Court Ruling

FILED - 29 June 2022, United Kingdom, London: Raindrops and the tournament logo can be seen on an umbrella during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Photo: Frank Molter/dpa
FILED - 29 June 2022, United Kingdom, London: Raindrops and the tournament logo can be seen on an umbrella during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Photo: Frank Molter/dpa
TT
20

Wimbledon Expansion Plan Set to Proceed after High Court Ruling

FILED - 29 June 2022, United Kingdom, London: Raindrops and the tournament logo can be seen on an umbrella during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Photo: Frank Molter/dpa
FILED - 29 June 2022, United Kingdom, London: Raindrops and the tournament logo can be seen on an umbrella during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Photo: Frank Molter/dpa

Wimbledon's controversial expansion plan is set to go ahead after a legal challenge against the decision to approve the proposal was dismissed by a High Court judge on Monday.

The 'Save Wimbledon Park' campaign group took action against the Greater London Authority's decision last year to grant a planning permission that would almost triple the size of the site for the grass-court Grand Slam.

The proposals would see the construction of 38 new tennis courts and an 8,000-seat stadium on the grounds of the former Wimbledon Park Golf Club, which would allow it to host All England Club qualifiers on site instead of across south London at Roehampton.

The campaign group's barristers told the High Court earlier this month that the decision to approve the plans was "irrational" and should be quashed, as Wimbledon Park was covered by restrictions on how it could be used.

But Wimbledon chiefs defended the challenge, with the court told that the decision was a "planning judgement properly exercised" and that the restrictions were not "material".

In a ruling on Monday, Justice Saini dismissed the challenge, AFP reported.

"In short, the defendant's decision on the relevance of deliverability, applying to both the statutory trust and the restrictive covenants, was a planning judgement rationally exercised and having regard to appropriate and relevant factors," he said.

Planning permission for the scheme was initially granted by Jules Pipe, London's deputy mayor for planning, who said that the proposals "would facilitate very significant benefits" which "clearly outweigh the harm".

Following Monday's High Court ruling, the campaign group said it had been "advised that it should" seek to challenge the decision.

"SWP is not taking this step lightly but believes that the GLA did make a significant legal error in the way it dealt with the special legal status of the park," a statement said.

The latest edition of Wimbledon concluded on July 13, with Jannik Sinner winning the men's title and Iga Swiatek lifting the women's trophy.