Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to the sit Down. I'm Viv Christie,
Speaker 1: Managing editor of Australian Tennis magazine and.
Speaker 2: I'm Metrolope, a writer an editor for oz open dot
Speaker 2: com and Viv why are we sitting down this week
Speaker 2: with Juel Fonseca, Well, Matt.
Speaker 1: I had a chance to sit down with Joo at
Speaker 1: the Brisbane International at the start of this season, and
Speaker 1: he's of course one of the most exciting young players
Speaker 1: in tennis from outside the top one hundred at the
Speaker 1: start of last year, he rose to world number twenty
Speaker 1: five and yeah, on the back of some incredible results,
Speaker 1: big wins, amazing fanfare and just a fantastic game to
Speaker 1: watch as well.
Speaker 2: Yeah, one of the great stories of season twenty five
Speaker 2: his rise. I obviously wasn't here for this interview, so
Speaker 2: I was listening to it for the first time, so
Speaker 2: that was fantastic for me. I really enjoyed it. But
Speaker 2: also the timing's perfect because Juo has just reached the
Speaker 2: fourth round at Indian Wells last week, He's best ever
Speaker 2: result at a Masters tournament and after a bit of
Speaker 2: a slow start to the season because of an injury interruption,
Speaker 2: it kind of looks like he's building that momentum back
Speaker 2: up again. So it's really exciting to see what he
Speaker 2: did last week, and yeah, sets the stage for an
Speaker 2: exciting season.
Speaker 1: Gel fun Sikov, thank you for joining us on the
Speaker 1: sit down.
Speaker 3: It's a pleasure being here, pleasure meeting you, and yeah,
Speaker 3: excited to talk.
Speaker 1: And this time last year you were ranked around number
Speaker 1: one forty five, and you know you launched an incredible
Speaker 1: breakout year at the Canberra International. He had a chance
Speaker 1: to sort of stop and think about what you've achieved.
Speaker 3: I think, yeah, there was a period I think after
Speaker 3: reopened that I had a time to reflect a little
Speaker 3: bit what happened, because I mean I won the Nection
Speaker 3: and then Camber and I did a pretty good run
Speaker 3: in Australian Open, and after I went to South America
Speaker 3: tour Juan Brunos Aires, and after reopen I had some
Speaker 3: time and to reflect in it because everything just started
Speaker 3: going week after a week just pretty good. So so yeah,
Speaker 3: but now I'll say it was a I mean a
Speaker 3: wonderful season. My expectations was was lower than well, everything
Speaker 3: happened and and yeah, I just pretty pretty excited and
Speaker 3: pretty happy that everything that happened to me in those
Speaker 3: past months, and uh, just pretty excited for what's coming. Uh,
Speaker 3: I'm playing glovel, I'm playing good tennis and confident with
Speaker 3: my tennis. So so yeah, what have.
Speaker 1: You learned about yourself in the last year?
Speaker 3: I would say, I think due all from last the
Speaker 3: boats from the beginning of the year, and the draw
Speaker 3: now is much more mature and much more experienced, and
Speaker 3: and yeah I got to to meet uh the great
Speaker 3: players and uh got to got to know different tournaments
Speaker 3: to in places. I understand a little bit how to
Speaker 3: play with the five sets. I'll say I'm a little
Speaker 3: bit more experienced than from last year. So so yeah,
Speaker 3: I'll say I'm I'm happy with myself of course evolving
Speaker 3: as a person and as a player. So but yeah,
Speaker 3: very happy the way the way the things are handling.
Speaker 1: Just on some of your highlights from the past year.
Speaker 1: I mean, you qualified for these Joint Open, you upset
Speaker 1: Andre Ruble in the first round, you want two titles,
Speaker 1: You had success at challenger level. What what stands out
Speaker 1: the mist for you?
Speaker 3: I think rube Lev was where I started. Everything. I
Speaker 3: think was where like I think the players and I'll say,
Speaker 3: the world to tennis tour and get to know a
Speaker 3: little bit more about me. And you know, I was
Speaker 3: where my confidence was pretty high, and I knew that
Speaker 3: I could do some great things and that my leave
Speaker 3: was there. I just needed maybe time and experience. So
Speaker 3: that was one highlight. And Buenos aidas my first title.
Speaker 3: It meant a lot. I was well playing for almost
Speaker 3: say moms on hard and then practice two three days
Speaker 3: and played the Buenos Aids, so it was a special tournament.
Speaker 3: I played really well, and yeah, that was also a highlight.
Speaker 3: And and of course Basil finishing the year. I think
Speaker 3: it was pretty good moments for me and that I
Speaker 3: played such a good level.
Speaker 1: If you take a step back that Australian Open breakthrough,
Speaker 1: you actually qualified for the Australian Open last year. How
Speaker 1: important was it to qualify? Like how much did that
Speaker 1: help you?
Speaker 3: I think I mean a lot. I played the US
Speaker 3: Open in twenty twenty four the qualities and I lost
Speaker 3: two in the third third drama qualities and it hurt
Speaker 3: a little bit. And because I was playing good and
Speaker 3: then well, it was difficult. But on the Australian Open,
Speaker 3: just wanted so much to to play my first mandra
Speaker 3: and I was just super happy that I got it.
Speaker 3: I played such a good level. I was feeling good.
Speaker 3: Like I said, we went to was then action and
Speaker 3: then camera and then after the qualie. So meant to
Speaker 3: me a lot to start the season, getting to play
Speaker 3: my well, doing my debut on the mendra of a
Speaker 3: Grand Slam.
Speaker 1: And everywhere you go, including at the Astraine opened, there's
Speaker 1: sort of huge fanfare and just such a great atmosphere.
Speaker 1: How much do you enjoy that?
Speaker 3: Well, I know that now. I just love playing of
Speaker 3: the crowd. But like the early drive, from like thirteen
Speaker 3: years old, they're fourteen, he was more shy and he
Speaker 3: didn't like very much the crowd. He stayed a little
Speaker 3: bit more tense. But nowadays I just love it. I
Speaker 3: think the support that they bring me when I'm winning,
Speaker 3: winning or losing is just very positive and andy know
Speaker 3: when I'm winning there they are there to keep me
Speaker 3: folks and like keep hungry for more. And when I'm losing,
Speaker 3: they just gives me like motivations to not not think
Speaker 3: about negative things and keep positive and keep believing. So
Speaker 3: so yeah, I just love playing with them and they
Speaker 3: helped me a lot.
Speaker 1: What changed for you when you said you were shy.
Speaker 1: Was there any change?
Speaker 3: I think was the experience to play with the crowd
Speaker 3: and to see the benefits that they bring you and
Speaker 3: not like the negative things like their team for you.
Speaker 3: You need to win, you have the obligation. They're putting expectations,
Speaker 3: they're putting pressure. Now, it's just they're there to support
Speaker 3: and and that's a hopeful. Well, unfortunately I'm not gonna
Speaker 3: win all the matches. We all know that, but yeah,
Speaker 3: I'm there to to put one hundred percent. So they're
Speaker 3: tuning there and it just need to to use them
Speaker 3: as as I can to in the positive way.
Speaker 1: And have you had any unusual experiences with fans along
Speaker 1: the way.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think I think kids they're super excited and
Speaker 3: it's just nice to see. Well, there's some players there,
Speaker 3: there are some fans that they said that they came
Speaker 3: from well Brazil to Australia just to see me. It's
Speaker 3: just it's just super nice to have this support and
Speaker 3: it's just amazing to have their the support from the kids,
Speaker 3: kids saying that I inspire them. It's just it's just
Speaker 3: amazing and hopefully I can do some great stuff for
Speaker 3: this sport and keep inspiring them.
Speaker 1: What what's it like to be a role model at
Speaker 1: such a young age.
Speaker 3: I don't say like that. I just say like I'm
Speaker 3: a player doing my my my work and and getting
Speaker 3: to do great things for this amazing sport and like
Speaker 3: I said, inspiring kids. But at the same time, it's
Speaker 3: just cool to like to see the like people just
Speaker 3: stop you. Uh well, I'll say more. In Brazil, the
Speaker 3: people saw you when you go to a restaurant or
Speaker 3: just passing on the street and once take a picture
Speaker 3: of saying that good luck in the next ram. Is
Speaker 3: just pretty nice to to see this from from other people.
Speaker 3: Just like getting to know you and and wishing them
Speaker 3: all the beast is just super nice. And but yeah,
Speaker 3: i'd like they're there. Sometimes it's just like you want
Speaker 3: to stay private with something and oh it's just but
Speaker 3: I think in the positive way is just super nice
Speaker 3: and and then.
Speaker 1: I enjoy it's not just the fans who are taking night.
Speaker 1: You also had a chance to meet with Roger Federer
Speaker 1: at the Laver Cup. Describe that experience.
Speaker 3: Oh, for me, it was I mean amazing. Just getting
Speaker 3: to know my idol was just I think that I'm
Speaker 3: I'm not gonna I'm gonna remember for for a long
Speaker 3: long time and and now if my hands were shaking,
Speaker 3: I was super nervous, and and now I was just
Speaker 3: super great. Uh he's a fantastic guy, and uh, you know,
Speaker 3: we had a quick chat and just amazing and I
Speaker 3: really like it was an amazing experience.
Speaker 1: What about the Team World captain Andre Agacy? What did
Speaker 1: you learn from him?
Speaker 3: Pretty much? Actually, I think the experience that both Andre
Speaker 3: and Pat bring me and this amazing week was the
Speaker 3: experience of playing on tour. The stories some things that
Speaker 3: they talked and we we we got. I didn't know
Speaker 3: them before before this week, and I was a little
Speaker 3: bit nervous how I was going. And they were super
Speaker 3: nice guys, and they helped me a lot during that week,
Speaker 3: and and I was pretty nice chats and and yeah,
Speaker 3: both of them are pretty nice guys.
Speaker 1: Took us through your relationship with Gasta Vocushion.
Speaker 3: Well, I'm at Gustavo in twenty twenty four Davis Cup
Speaker 3: when we played in Brazil. He went there to talk
Speaker 3: with the team and and uh, well he said some
Speaker 3: great things about playing Davis Cup and while representing our country,
Speaker 3: and uh, after we had a quick chat and he's
Speaker 3: not very much into the tennis world. But the the
Speaker 3: Google figure is just amazing. The compassion that he has
Speaker 3: talking to well, I mean, the charisma that he has
Speaker 3: is just amazing. He's a he I don not only
Speaker 3: for both tennis world, but like the whole the whole
Speaker 3: Brazilian culture. So so yeah, it's just uh an idol
Speaker 3: for all of us. And I would say, well, he's
Speaker 3: just an idol, and I just look at him like
Speaker 3: as a like the an athlete that I want to
Speaker 3: be in the future.
Speaker 1: Who else has been influential in your career?
Speaker 3: I'll say my parents, and they they helped me a
Speaker 3: lot in the well and everything that they they put
Speaker 3: me in this amazing sport. And well, they were always
Speaker 3: there to support me. Whenever decision and whenever moment that
Speaker 3: I had that they they were there. So so I
Speaker 3: put this there. I'll put them in the in this
Speaker 3: in this answer because they were there always for me
Speaker 3: and cheering for me, and and yeah, because of them,
Speaker 3: I'm playing the sport.
Speaker 1: I know that in the past you've spoken about Federer
Speaker 1: and Rafael Nadal as players that you really admire and
Speaker 1: you really love their rivalry. Who would you like to
Speaker 1: see become. If you were to have a great rivalry
Speaker 1: like that, who would you like to be your rival?
Speaker 3: Well, hopefully right now, say Johnny Can, carlosm Maybe in
Speaker 3: a few few years I can play in the same
Speaker 3: level as them. Of course, it's it's a long path
Speaker 3: and and it's a long way to be there. We
Speaker 3: still need to evolve a lot of stuff. But at
Speaker 3: the same time, it's where I want to be and
Speaker 3: it's it's my goal. So so Ye're working very hard
Speaker 3: to be in the same level as them, and and yeah,
Speaker 3: hopefully some years that I can play finals against those guys.
Speaker 1: Are there any players that you haven't played yet that
Speaker 1: you think I can't wait to play.
Speaker 3: I love to play against Djokovic. I think kiss idol
Speaker 3: for the sport is like we all say, the goat.
Speaker 3: So so yeah, maybe hopefully soon I can play against him,
Speaker 3: because well we know that in the future, like last
Speaker 3: probably like four years, he's going to retire, so yeah,
Speaker 3: we never know, so so I'll say him, I'll left
Speaker 3: playing against him to see how it is. And yeah, last.
Speaker 1: Year, I mean there was a sense that it was
Speaker 1: everything was new for you. Does does it feel different
Speaker 1: for you this season?
Speaker 3: Yes? I think, well, I know a little bit more
Speaker 3: of the tour, and I know more of the players,
Speaker 3: and and yeah, it's gonna be my first You're defending points.
Speaker 3: The the pressure of going to a tournament be well,
Speaker 3: uh defand points or defending champion uh buenz aidres or
Speaker 3: bazo is just uh, it's gonna be a great uh
Speaker 3: experience for me. And but yeah, it's pretty different from
Speaker 3: from last season. And but yeah, hopefully we can do well.
Speaker 3: I'm confident with my game, like I said, and uh
Speaker 3: and playing good.
Speaker 1: You arenown for your power and your short making. Where
Speaker 1: did that come from?
Speaker 3: Difficult say? But I think since I was younger, I
Speaker 3: liked playing hot, like full power. I like going for
Speaker 3: the shots. Sometimes my shots went directly to the fans
Speaker 3: or directly to the bottoms of that. But uh, working
Speaker 3: and I keep playing more solid, but sometimes it just
Speaker 3: it keeps going to defense sometimes. But hopefully I'm doing
Speaker 3: some winners and and yeah, but since I was young,
Speaker 3: I liked playing hard and I kept with that and
Speaker 3: it's my it's my way to play. So so yeah, your.
Speaker 1: Start in tennis was famously helped by being able to
Speaker 1: attend the Real Open when you were young. How when
Speaker 1: you think about it, how life changing was that having
Speaker 1: that tournament so close.
Speaker 3: I think was really important for my bow the start
Speaker 3: of my career. Like I went to all the auditions
Speaker 3: of the real opening, and I went as a spectator
Speaker 3: for many years. Hence I went as a hitting partner
Speaker 3: and then after as a player. But I'm there for
Speaker 3: like I don't know, determined has like about fifteen years
Speaker 3: maybe and and it's just super special and it helps well,
Speaker 3: it put me in this sport. I think watching Nadal
Speaker 3: playing there and winning and well all of this big players,
Speaker 3: so so yeah, is this special tournament for me? And
Speaker 3: one of my dream is to win win.
Speaker 1: There is there one memory from that tournament that stands
Speaker 1: out above all others.
Speaker 3: I think Nadal winning. We watched the final and I
Speaker 3: was this is one one of the boxes and I
Speaker 3: remember him winning. So and now another moment, just my
Speaker 3: my deeper dere in twenty twenty three, it was well
Speaker 3: I lost all and four, but it was a special
Speaker 3: moment for me, and yeah, it was great moments.
Speaker 1: You also played soccer when you were young. What made
Speaker 1: you choose.
Speaker 3: Tennis, Well, I think since twelve eleven I was playing
Speaker 3: more both and I had a little injury in so
Speaker 3: occurred that I played futsal and I had a little
Speaker 3: injury played with the old guys. I was eleven twelve
Speaker 3: and I played with guys thirteen fourteen, And well, I
Speaker 3: felt and I injured a little bit. Was not that
Speaker 3: that like was not like very very like important pain
Speaker 3: or whatever, but it just like felt me, I don't
Speaker 3: want to play soccer anymore. I don't want to go
Speaker 3: with tennis. And uh yeah, but not only that, I
Speaker 3: really fell in love with this sport and I really
Speaker 3: liked traveling. I felt I think I played a little
Speaker 3: bit better at tennis, and uh, and I was already traveling.
Speaker 3: I was already uh with a with a coach and
Speaker 3: then and then uh, when I was twelve, I changed
Speaker 3: my coach. Things got a little bit more serious. And
Speaker 3: here I am.
Speaker 1: What has been your favorite place on tour so far?
Speaker 3: My favorite place on tour? I think I really like
Speaker 3: Rome the Master Well, I love Pasta and Andy. I
Speaker 3: think that the culture there is just really nice. The
Speaker 3: city is just, I'm beliefubl beautiful. So so I'll say
Speaker 3: this one. And also Wimbledon is just unbelievable. Every little
Speaker 3: Detay is just amazing. So also this both places.
Speaker 1: It's interesting that you say both roam and Wimbledon because
Speaker 1: you've had success on hardcourt. On what what's your favorite.
Speaker 3: I actually lost first round Rome, but yeah, it was
Speaker 3: it's a cool city. But I think my favorite one
Speaker 3: is nowadays. I always felt like I played better on clay,
Speaker 3: and uh, but I've seen nowadays I'm playing I'm playing
Speaker 3: good and hard. There's a long time that I'm central
Speaker 3: I'm not playing clay, So for now I'll say hard
Speaker 3: and maybe in the future I will say clay again,
Speaker 3: but but nowadays hard.
Speaker 1: It's a busy life for a nineteen year old. What
Speaker 1: do you do to unwind when you're not playing tennis.
Speaker 3: I think I have a pretty good social life, friends, family,
Speaker 3: and I can hang out a little bit when I'm home,
Speaker 3: and when I'm playing a tournament, my parents, who are
Speaker 3: well family members of the family or friends, they can
Speaker 3: come and for me to follow. My mental health stays good,
Speaker 3: so I'll say it's my social life, like I said,
Speaker 3: is pretty good. And I like to say to stay
Speaker 3: with the family. When I'm home, I like to go
Speaker 3: out of my friend's girlfriend and yeah, I'm pretty chill,
Speaker 3: I like to stay home, and I think that's and.
Speaker 1: Just to finish, what does a successful season look like
Speaker 1: for you in twenty twenty.
Speaker 3: Six, I think just keep evolving as as a player
Speaker 3: as a person, keep learning, keep playing well, good progressing
Speaker 3: on ranking and yeah, I think I'm looking forward for
Speaker 3: this season. It's going to be fine and now hopefully
Speaker 3: I can do some great stuff.
Speaker 1: Well, thank you so much. We wish you all the
Speaker 1: best with that, and thanks you sit down, Thank you, Viv.
Speaker 2: Congrats on that. I loved listening to that and it
Speaker 2: was a great opportunity to learn a little bit more
Speaker 2: about him off the court. I thought it was so
Speaker 2: fascinating hearing him finish the interview when you asked him
Speaker 2: about what would make a successful season, and it's rather
Speaker 2: than kind of rankings, milestones or rounds of tournaments, it
Speaker 2: was a little bit broader than that. It was about
Speaker 2: evolving as a player and a person. And I just
Speaker 2: think that's what I took away from this interview. How
Speaker 2: mature he sounds for someone so young, still a teenager.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I was very lucky to have quite
Speaker 1: a bit of time with him in Brisbane, but yeah,
Speaker 1: it was fascinating to hear him talk about early Joo
Speaker 1: Juao and you know, just I guess the progress he's
Speaker 1: made in such a short amount.
Speaker 2: Of time for sure. And yeah, with the Indian Wells
Speaker 2: result being, you know, that breakthrough at a master's level,
Speaker 2: and you know he's establishing himself as such a force
Speaker 2: on tour. It's really exciting to see what will come
Speaker 2: next for him.
Speaker 1: And we'll be back next week with another episode of
Speaker 1: the sit Down when We Sit Down with Lindsay Davenport.
Speaker 2: Can't wait for that one. And as always, if you
Speaker 2: subscribe to The sit Down, you'll never miss an episode
Speaker 2: when it lands in your feet. And if you could
Speaker 2: leave us a rating or a review, we'd love that too.
Speaker 2: See you next week, viv See there, Matt,