Who is Joao Fonseca? Meet the 10th youngest champion in ATP Tour history
Joao Fonseca lifted the Argentina Open for his maiden ATP title.
Joao Fonseca, a native of Rio de Janeiro, is on his way to becoming a household name. Fonseca’s ATP Tour debut came at the 2023 Rio Open as a 16-year-old wild card. The same year, he made the quarterfinals at the junior edition of the French Open and Wimbledon. Later that season, he tasted victory at his first junior Grand Slam on the blue courts of Flushing Meadows.
The Brazilian, who grew up 10 minutes away from the site of the Rio Open, was invited to the 2023 ATP Finals as the sparring partner for some of the top players in the world. He took to the court for some one-on-one practice sessions with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev.
Big-name agencies such as IMG and Team8 are battling to manage his career, but he has put on hold signing up with either of them for now. Fonseca does have a link with the Roger Federer-linked agency Team8 after being signed on by the sportswear brand, ‘On’ in which the Swiss is an investor.
Also Read: Joao Fonseca becomes youngest South American to win ATP event since 1990
The Brazilian made a splash at the Davis Cup Round Robin stage in September 2024 when he defeated Botic van de Zandschulp in his debut in the team-based event.
Later, in 2024, Fonseca qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah. He lifted the trophy while remaining undefeated. The Brazilian teenager kicked off his 2025 season with a main draw appearance at a Grand Slam for the first time. He came through qualifying in the Australian Open and reached the second round by defeating World No. #9 Andrey Rublev.
Less than a month later, he defeated Argentine Francisco Cerundolo in his own backyard to win the Argentina Open. Fonseca dashed Cerundolo’s hopes of a hometown win by winning in straight sets.
Who is Joao Fonseca?
Joao Fonseca’s parents, Roberta and Christiano Fonseca, dabbled in several sports, thus passing on the interest to Joao. The young Fonseca grew up playing football and tennis while dabbling in jiu-jitsu and judo.
Fonseca began his tryst with the sport at the age of 4, playing tennis at the Rio de Janeiro Country Club next to his home, where his mother, Roberta, would accompany him to the clay courts.
The Brazilian watched Nadal from the front-row seats in Rio de Janeiro in 2014, the year the Spaniard won the title. The young Brazilian idolises Federer and has stated his intention to incorporate the Federer serve into his arsenal.
The Brazilian is currently being coached by Guilherme Teixeira, who has been with the teenager since he was 12.
Playing style
Joao Fonseca is a self-professed, aggressive baseliner who likes to end the rallies early. The variation and penetrating nature of his groundstrokes pushes his opponents to go on the defensive. The Brazilian can resort to playing with a soft hand should the situation demand.
Similar types of players
Peers who share a similar playing style to Joao Fonseca include Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Seb Korda, Lorenzo Musetti, and Holger Rune. They all share punchy groundstrokes, strong serves, and solid on-court coverage as common traits.
Best ranking achieved
Joao Fonseca rose a remarkable 573 sports in the ATP Rankings since January on the back of two tour-level quarterfinals. The Brazilian rose to a career-high of No. #157 in September. On winning his first Challenger Trophy in Lexington in June, he became the youngest player in the top 200, coming in at No. #166.
He finished the 2024 season ranked No. #145, a remarkable rise of 585 spots from January 2024. On winning his maiden ATP title in Argentina, the talented Fonseca rose to a career-high ranking of World No. #68.
Also Read: Top 10 men’s singles players with most Grand Slam matches
Best performances
Fonseca’s season kicked off the 2024 season on a buoyant note by making a winning debut on the ATP Tour. He won his first match at the ATP level on home turf at the ATP 500 Rio Open. He went on to reach the last eight at the event and followed it up by turning pro as a 17-year-old.
In Rio, the young Brazilian defeated two ATP Top 100 players en route to the quarter-final – Arthur Fils (36) and Cristian Garin (88).
Fonseca claimed the Lexington Challenger in July this year without dropping a set. The Brazilian at 17 years, 11 months, 17 days, was just one day younger than Sinner when the Italian won the title in 2019. With the Lexington Challenger under his belt, he also became the youngest Brazilian champion in Challenger history since 1978.
Joao Fonseca broke new ground in the Group A Davis Cup tie against Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp. It was the first match of the day, and it witnessed Fonseca take down Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets for a 6-4, 7-6(3) win in just 92 minutes.
Fonseca built on his success in the 2024 season by breaching the ATP Top 100 by the end of January 2025. A second-round appearance in Melbourne gave him the No. 99 spot in the ATP rankings to become the youngest Top 100 player since Carlos Alcaraz in October 2021 and the youngest Brazilian to break into the top 100 in ATP Rankings history.
At the recently concluded Argentina Open, he fought past four Argentinian players for his maiden ATP title. It was also his first ATP final. In the title round, he denied Francisco Cerundolo the win with a 6-4, 7-6(1) victory.
Future potential
Fonseca will next be seen in action at the Rio Open, an event where he made the quarter-finals last season. He is not shy about his ambitions either, clarifying his intention to be World No. #1 and win Grand Slams after taking the title in Argentina.
The young Brazilian, who is not out of his teens yet, has the mental fortitude to go far as he makes the transition from the Challenger circuit to the ATP Tour. Joao Fonseca has lofty aims for himself, including treading in the footsteps of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram
- Miami Open 2025: Updated schedule, fixtures, results, live streaming details
- Where & how to watch Novak Djokovic vs Grigor Dimitrov, Miami Open 2025 semi-final live?
- Aryna Sabalenka vs Jessica Pegula final prediction, betting tips & odds, head-to-head, preview: Miami Open 2025
- Taylor Fritz vs Jakub Mensik prediction, betting tips & odds, head-to-head, preview: Miami Open 2025
- Novak Djokovic vs Grigor Dimitrov prediction, betting tips & odds, head-to-head, preview: Miami Open 2025
- Miami Open 2025: Updated schedule, fixtures, results, live streaming details
- Top five tennis tournaments with highest prize money
- Top 10 male players with most ATP titles before turning 22
- Top five Indian tennis tournaments with highest prize money
- Top five Indian tennis tournaments with highest prize money