Sugary Sidetrack Fuels Brussels Ambitions
With the ATP Tour’s endgame looming, Joao Fonseca, Zizou Bergs, and Jiri Lehecka trade rackets for icing in Brussels, channeling a lighthearted media day into renewed drive for the indoor hard-court grind.
On a crisp Monday in Brussels, as the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open kicked off its 10th year on indoor hard courts, three standout players traded the baseline’s intensity for a whimsical detour. Joao Fonseca, Zizou Bergs, and Jiri Lehecka gathered amid trays of cakes, tasked with decorating to honor the ATP 250’s milestone. This media day indulgence, a stark contrast to the tour’s dietary discipline, offered a fleeting escape from the season’s mounting pressures, blending laughter with the subtle recharge needed before first-round fires.
Bergs channels home advantage sweetly
Zizou Bergs, the home favorite leaning on Belgium’s dessert legacy, turned his cake into a standout creation that clinched victory under the watchful eye of tournament director Dick Norman. Ranked No. 39 in the PIF ATP Rankings, he pocketed this off-court win as a morale lifter ahead of his Tuesday evening opener against countryman Raphael Collignon. The enclosed arena’s swift surface plays to Bergs’ strengths, where he can unleash one–two combinations of serve and inside-out forehand to dictate early points, all while feeding off the crowd’s electric support to shake off a year of inconsistent swings.
The Belgian’s methodical icing mirrored his on-court poise, layering flavors with the same precision he brings to crosscourt backhands that stretch opponents wide. This triumph eases the psychological load of performing under national spotlight, priming him to exploit Collignon‘s baseline tendencies with down-the-line redirects that cut through the fast indoor pace.
“This is my first time visiting Belgium, and I’m really impressed by the city, the atmosphere, and the incredible views,” Fonseca told europeanopen.be. “I’m very excited to play here. After a long season, I still feel fresh.”
Fonseca extends Next Gen surge indoors
World No. 45 Joao Fonseca, the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion, savors his Brussels bow as a platform to build on recent indoor success. The 19-year-old Brazilian, fresh from toppling Flavio Cobolli at the Laver Cup on a similar hard court, closes Tuesday’s schedule against Botic van de Zandschulp. His aggressive style thrives here, with quick 1–2 punches and underspin slices disrupting rhythms, turning the surface’s speed into an ally for net rushes that pressure returners under the steady lights.
Fonseca’s enthusiasm for the city’s vibe signals a mind still sharp despite the tour’s toll, positioning him to navigate van de Zandschulp’s flat strokes by varying depths in crosscourt exchanges. This debut marks his first ATP 250 indoors, a tactical test where emotional freshness could spark the upsets needed to solidify his rising trajectory amid late-season stakes.
Lehecka anchors trio’s steady resolve
Jiri Lehecka, the Top 20 Czech rounding out the group, infused the cake session with his competitive edge, a reminder of the balance elite players strike between fun and focus. As the tour hurtles toward 2025‘s climax, his participation underscores the mental breaks vital for sustaining power serves and versatile groundstrokes on these grippy courts. Lehecka’s game, built on inside-in forehands that exploit angles, suits the indoor tempo, allowing him to control rallies with minimal margin for error in the enclosed buzz.
Joined by his peers at the iconic Atomium later that day, he absorbed Brussels’ innovative spirit, a subtle nod to the creativity required in adapting to opponents’ patterns. With rankings on the line, this detour fortifies his resolve, setting the stage for matches where tactical depth and crowd-fueled intensity converge to push boundaries in the tournament’s heated opening rounds.
