Madrid Open: Joao Fonseca makes blunt ‘attitude’ confession after smashing racket in Rafael Jodar loss

Joao Fonseca candidly admitted his attitude on court “needs to be better” after his third round defeat to Rafael Jodar at the 2026 Madrid Open.

The world No 31 was beaten 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-1 by 42nd-ranked Jodar on Sunday night at the clay-court Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid.

It was Fonseca‘s first match of the event as he received a walkover from scheduled second round opponent Marin Cilic after getting a first round bye.

After being broken to fall 0-2 behind in the third set, Fonseca’s frustration boiled over as he destroyed his racket on the court.

Fonseca’s racket is GONE 👀 pic.twitter.com/MgyhP7dX8c

— Tennis Masterr (@tennismasterr) April 26, 2026

The Brazilian did not recover as Jodar raced into a 5-0 lead before sealing the win in emphatic fashion.

In his press conference, Fonseca assessed that mentality was the most important aspect of the match against his fellow 19-year-old.

“Naturally, there was a strategy from a technical standpoint,” Fonseca said.

“However, I believe the most important aspect of today’s match was the mental one. We both stepped onto the court with a certain degree of nervousness, which is completely normal.

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“It was my first match in Madrid, while for him it was his third. Furthermore, we were two young players facing each other, which inevitably leads us to overthink things.

“I had the opportunity to break his serve right at the start. At the beginning of the third set, I felt better, even better than him. I had more control of the match.

“However, after going up 40-15, when I missed some easy forehands, frustration set in. Clearly, my attitude on the court needs to be better. It’s something we need to work on.

“From that moment on, he played better, with less nervousness, and found the right way to take control.

“In that sense, I feel it was definitely a tough match. My main focus was on the mental aspect, as I knew we were both under pressure. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to manage it in the third set.”

Fonseca also praised Jodar and addressed the challenge of facing a player younger than him.

“He’s a great player, achieving impressive results and climbing the rankings very quickly. He has all the qualities to become an extraordinary player,” he said.

“As I said, facing a younger opponent on the ATP Tour made me a little nervous. It’s a situation we have to get used to and see how we respond to it.

“I’m still working, trying to find aspects that will help me improve both as a person and as a player. I continue to progress, and that’s the key point.

“Going back on the court, reflecting in the following days on what I could have done better, what attitude would have been more appropriate, and working on it.”

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