JOAO FONSECA EXITS WIMBLEDON BUT FANBASE GROWS

Joao Fonseca lost to Roman Safiullin of Russia in the first round of Wimbledon. Safiullin, ranked world No 132 and a quarter-finalist at the tournament in 2023, defeated the Brazilian No 24 seed. The match saw Safiullin take an aggressive approach, standing close to the baseline and playing drop shots. Fonseca's supporters chanted throughout the match, with crowds shouting "FON! SE! CA!" as the Brazilian attempted to recover from an early deficit.

A substantial Brazilian support base has developed around Fonseca since early 2024, when he reached the quarter-finals of his home tournament in Rio de Janeiro at age 17. Supporters call this movement "fonsequismo" and have travelled to tennis tournaments worldwide, wearing yellow shirts and creating noise comparable to football stadiums. In Miami last year, thousands of Brazilian fans attended matches, chanting during play and barracking opponents. Some supporters travelled to Wimbledon from Fortaleza in north-east Brazil but could not obtain court tickets; they stood outside the venue to follow the match. Following Fonseca's loss to Alex de Minaur in Miami's third round, his social media accounts received threats and abuse from sections of his fanbase.

Brazil's men's football team has not won the World Cup since 2002, according to the source material. The nation, the world's fifth most populous country, has experienced a shortage of prominent sporting heroes in recent years. Fonseca's rise through professional tennis has attracted increasing support within Brazil, with his following expanding as his ranking has improved.