Draper Dominates Fonseca at French Open
Draper Cruises Past Fonseca to Reach French Open Fourth Round
Britain’s Jack Draper delivered a commanding performance to dispatch Brazil’s Joao Fonseca in straight sets and book his place in the fourth round of the French Open for the first time.
The 23-year-old fifth seed showcased his growing stature on the world stage with a clinical 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win over the highly-touted 18-year-old, who has been making waves on the ATP Tour with his explosive game and powerful forehand.
Draper, who had never previously won a match at Roland Garros before this year, looked calm and composed throughout.
He controlled the tempo from the baseline and used his superior experience to neutralize Fonseca’s energetic style, quickly establishing dominance in a match that many expected to be a test.
“Joao has caught the attention of the fans and players,” Draper said after the match. “But today, my experience really helped me stay focused and play my best tennis.”
Fonseca, who broke into the top 100 earlier this year, came into the tournament as one of the most talked-about young talents.
His vibrant personality and aggressive shot-making have won him legions of fans, but against Draper he was outclassed.
Draper’s game continues to mature, and his recent run to the Madrid Open final suggested that a breakthrough at a Grand Slam was within reach.
At Roland Garros, he has already shown patience and poise with earlier wins over Mattia Bellucci and French veteran Gael Monfils.
Against Fonseca, he applied relentless pressure early, racing to a double break in the opening set, which he wrapped up in just 29 minutes.
Although Fonseca drew more crowd energy in a closer second set, Draper broke at a crucial moment and fended off break points to pull two sets ahead.
In the third set, Draper mixed intelligent returning with drop shots and depth variation to close out the match with authority.
While Fonseca’s star continues to rise, this match was a clear reminder that he remains a work in progress.
The teenager showed flashes of brilliance but lacked the consistency to trouble a top-10 opponent over five sets.
Draper now faces Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik in the fourth round and could be joined in the last 16 by either Cameron Norrie or Jacob Fearnley, who meet later on Saturday — ensuring at least two British men in the second week at Roland Garros for the first time since 2017.
Draper Dominates Fonseca at French Open