“And to all those people who have chosen to disrespect the player — in this case, me — have a goooooood night. Goooooood night, gooooood night. Very good night. Yep,” remember these words from Novak Djokovic after his intense 4th-round win over Holger Rune at Wimbledon last year? That clash was electric, with Novak enduring relentless “Ruuuunee” chants every time the Danish star scored a point. Fast forward to the Miami Open this year and history nearly repeated itself as Alex de Minaur faced a similarly charged atmosphere against Joao Fonseca in their R32 battle. However, while fans debated the crowd’s disruptions, tennis legend Boris Becker had a different take this time. 

Joao Fonseca made a spectacular debut at the Miami Open this year, leaving a lasting impression in his first ATP Masters 1000 appearance. The Brazilian rode the wave of home crowd support, securing impressive wins over Learner Tien and 19th seed Ugo Humbert before falling short in a thrilling 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 battle against Alex de Minaur. Though he couldn’t secure back-to-back wins over Top 20 opponents, Fonseca’s electrifying presence captivated the Brazilian fans in attendance. As the match reached its dramatic conclusion, the crowd’s energy surged, especially when the 18-year-old fought back late in the deciding set.

Right after the match ended, a frustrated fan voiced their displeasure over the crowd’s behavior, stating, “No hate to Fonseca (baby goat) but this crowd is something else and should not be allowed in the stands.  It almost feels like a fricking football match, not tennis . My god ,i have never seen anything like that . There’s barely any support for Demon.” The German legend wasn’t having it!

In response, Boris Becker chimed in with his perspective, adding, “Alexa, with all respect your absolutely wrong in your opinion! Tennis 🎾 needs players who attract crowds and create atmosphere like we have seen when Fonseca is playing…it was not against de Minaur but for the young kid from Brasil …”

The substantial backing from the crowd at the Miami Open appeared to have a significant impact on the Brazilian player. “I just wanted to entertain. I mean, it was probably going to be my last minutes in this year’s Miami, so I was just enjoying. People were calling out ‘Joao Fonseca’. I was just, like, fighting, Okay, let’s go… I was just enjoying the moment. I was looking at my coach, just laughing, just enjoying. Those moments were cool,” Fonseca said after the match. 

And if you think this was the first time, Fonseca had a roaring crowd behind him, think again! 

Fonseca opens up about the “pumped” crowd support he got during the Miami Open

A rising star on the ATP Tour, Joao Fonseca was already fueled by the passionate support of Green and Yellow-clad Brazilian fans during his 2nd-round showdown against Ugo Humbert. 

“When the crowd supports a player, they get more pumped up. Today, I started the match very relaxed. I wasn’t nervous. He was more nervous. The pressure was more on him. I served well,” he even added after that match against the Frenchman. 

Even Learner Tien, Fonseca’s 1st-round opponent, couldn’t help but joke about the electric atmosphere.

After falling to the Brazilian in a grueling 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4 battle, the American humorously tagged the location of their Miami Open match as “Rio de Janeiro” on Instagram, perfectly capturing how the passionate Brazilian fans turned the stadium into a home away from home for Fonseca.

Now that the young Brazilian star has exited the tournament, which fanbase do you think will take over the stands next? Drop your predictions below!