The intense clash between Aussie tennis star Alex De Minaur and wonderkid Joao Fonseca saw the majority of the live spectators voicing their support for the Brazilian, which led to some fans criticizing this behavior. However, German tennis legend Boris Becker thinks otherwise.
Fonseca eased past 19th seed Ugo Humbert in the third round, before squaring off against De Minaur in the round of 16. Despite the Brazilian taking the first set, it was the more experienced Australian star who prevailed with a 5-7 7-5 6-3 victory.
The fourth round match was an intense encounter, with several Brazilian fans present to support Fonseca. The youngster was cheered loudly during the match, much to De Minaur's chagrin. However, the 10th seed kept his composure after dropping the first set, overcoming the negative noise to escape with the victory.
Following the match, several fans took to social media to comment on the tense situation. A particular fan compared the environment to that of a football match, lashing out at the crowd for their one-sided behavior.
"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," wrote an exasperated user on Twitter.
Becker responded to the fan, stating the crowd was not against De Minaur but in support of Fonseca. Furthermore, the former World No.1 said the sport of tennis needed more characters who could fill up the stands.
"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," said Becker.
Alexa, with all respect your absolutely wrong in your opinion!
— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) March 25, 2025
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 … https://t.co/XGG3wYnmv6