"I wanted to win": Alexandre Muller apologises to Rio Open fans after beating home favourite Joao Fonseca

France’s Alexandre Muller has apologised to the fans of the Rio Open after beating the tournament favourite Joao Fonseca in the opening round. The 18-year-old, who is already regarded as the one for the future, suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the first round of the competition to the French player in straight sets with a score of 6-1, 7-6.

Talking after the match, Muller apologised to the crowd, knowing fully well that he had knocked out their favourite player. He also went on to back the young Brazilian to win multiple titles on his home court in the future. "I feel sorry for the tournament and for the fans. Fonseca is a superstar here,” he said. “But I wanted to win. João will win year for many, many years.”

Despite the defeat, Fonseca will remain upbeat about his performances in the recent past where he lifted his ATP title at the seniors level. He won the Argentina Open after beating local favourite Francisco Cerundolo in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 7-6.

After winning the title, Fonseca admitted that it was nothing short of a ‘dream’ come true moment for him. "Even in Argentina there are Brazilians cheering for me. That's amazing," he said. "What I'm living is just unbelievable. I want to thank my friends and sponsors for helping me achieve my dream - to just play tennis."

Talking ahead of the event, Fonseca revealed that he received messages from some of the big-name football players from Brazil who have already made their name at the highest level. “I feel very honoured by the messages I got from local and international idols, to know that they know who I am. Guys like Neymar, Vini Jr, Ronaldo,” he said. “They are idols, people that I consider untouchable. And also to see kids saying that I’m their idol is just crazy. I’m very happy with everything that’s happening."