Young Brazilian João Fonseca started the first Grand Slam of his career on the right foot. The 18-year-old beat Russian Andrey Rublev, number 9 in the world, in the first round of the tournament, this Tuesday morning (14/01).
The Brazilian is on the tennis world’s radar and has now opened up hypotheses about participating in the Rio Open 2025. The Sporting News brings the possibilities for participation to happen.
Will João Fonseca participate in the Rio Open 2025?
The 2025 edition of the Rio Open is scheduled to take place between February 13th and 25th, 2025. João Fonseca’s presence is confirmed. The edition will take place at the Jockey Club Brasileiro, in Gávea.
In the last edition, the tennis player reached the quarterfinals, when he lost to Argentine Mariano Navone, by 2 sets to 1.
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How was João Fonseca’s victory at the Australian Open?
The first set was completely balanced. Both Rublev and João Fonseca confirmed their serves until reaching a 6-6 draw. In the tie-break, however, the Brazilian overpowered Rublev: 7-1 and the first set won.
The second set was all about Fonseca. The Brazilian started by confirming his serve and then broke Rublev’s serve, opening 2/0. The players then confirmed their serves until the Brazilian confirmed the victory of the set by 6/3, opening 2 sets to 0.
It was to be expected that a young man like João Fonseca would feel the weight of debuting in the main draw of a Grand Slam and against a top 10 player in the world. But the Brazilian showed that he is different and is prepared to compete against the top tennis players in the world.
The first game was confirmed by Rublev after a long battle. The second, however, was a walk for Fonseca: 1 to 1. Rublev confirmed his serve and, subsequently, broke Fonseca, opening 3 games to 1.
The Brazilian reacted soon after, breaking the number 9 in the world. Afterwards, Rublev confirmed his serve, as did Fonseca. The players were winning their service games until the 6-6 draw that took the game to a tie-break.
In the tiebreaker, Fonseca opened 4-0. Rublev reduced it to 4-3 and the players reached 5-5. Fonseca then scored the sixth point and had match point. Rublev served, but the Brazilian sent a beautiful winner to make it 7-5 in the tie-break and close the game in 3 sets to 0.
Who is João Fonseca?
João Fonseca, born on August 21, 2006, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), is a promising Brazilian tennis player who has stood out on the international scene. His career gained notoriety in 2023, when he won the junior singles title at the US Open, becoming the first Brazilian to achieve this feat.
In December 2023, Fonseca was the first Brazilian youth world champion, having ended the season as number 1 in the junior rankings.
In early 2024, at the age of 17, Fonseca reached the semifinals of the Buenos Aires Challenger, demonstrating his potential in professional tournaments. In February, he participated in the Rio Open, where, after receiving a wildcard, he achieved his first victory at ATP level by defeating seventh seed Arthur Fils in straight sets. With this victory, he became the first player born in 2006 to win a match on the ATP Tour. He then overcame Cristian Garin, reaching the quarterfinals of the tournament.
MORE: How much did João Fonseca win for the Next Gen Finals title?
In March 2024, Fonseca reached his first Challenger final in Paraguay, consolidating his position among professionals. In April, he received a wildcard for the Masters 1000 in Madrid, where he beat American Alex Michelsen, recording his first victory at that level of competition.
In August 2024, he won his first Challenger title in Lexington, United States, at the age of 17, becoming the youngest Challenger champion of the season. This victory propelled him into the top 175 in the world rankings.
At the end of November 2024, Fonseca qualified for the Next Generation ATP Finals, demonstrating his rapid rise in the professional circuit, becoming tournament champion.
João Fonseca is seen as a great promise in Brazilian tennis, with the ambition of reaching the top of the world rankings, inspired by idols such as Gustavo Kuerten, known as Guga.
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Main titles of João Fonseca’s career
- 2023: US Open Youth Singles Champion
- 2024: Lexington Challenger Champion (Youngest to win a tournament of this level in the season.)
- 2024: Next Gen ATP Finals Champion
