'Risky' tactician Fabian Marozsan challenges Joao Fonseca's forehand in opening Rome win

Two years after making his first big splash on the ATP Tour in Rome, is Fabian Marozsan set to rekindle the magic at the Foro Italico?

The Hungarian is off to a great start in doing so after outclassing one of the sport’s most followed rising talents on Thursday.

Facing 18-year-old Joao Fonseca, Marozsan came through their Internazionali BNL d'Italia opener, 6-3, 7-6 (4). The world No. 61 wasn’t afraid to take it to the Brazilian, as he explained to Tennis Channel.

“He's a great clay-court player, for sure. I tried to push him a little bit on the forehand side. That’s his best weapon or shot maybe, but I tried to play a little bit (of a) risky game today. That was a tactic that was working well,” he told Prakash Amritraj.

Regarding the buzz surrounding Fonseca, Marozsan shared, “When we walked into the stadium, a lot of people were screaming and were very, very loud because of him. He has a big future, as I said before, and he’s a star. I know that probably he will be in the Top 10 for sure. It’s a good moment for me to beat him. I tried to play against him like anyone else.”

I tried to push him a little bit on the forehand side. That’s his best weapon or shot maybe, but I tried to play a little bit (of a) risky game today. That was a tactic that was working well. Fabian Marozsan

As a 135th-ranked qualifier here in 2023, Marozsan shocked world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz on his way to the round of 16, one of that years’s biggest upsets. “Everyone knows my name because of Rome and because of Alcaraz,” he noted.

The 25 year-old has since added two 1000-level quarterfinals (2023 Shanghai, 2024 Madrid) to his resume and recently, was a semifinalist at the ATP 500 in Munich. On Saturday, Marozsan battles No. 16 seed Andrey Rublev—whom he ousted at the start of the season in Hong Kong for his most recent Top 10 victory.

“Life is going on. I have to do some new results.”