A court set up inside LoanDepot Park, the stadium that houses the Miami Marlins, a Major League Baseball franchise, was the stage for the first clash between Brazilian João Fonseca and Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz this Monday (8).
Valid for the “Miami Invitation”, an exhibition event taken seriously by tennis players, icons of the new generation of the sport, the duel ended with a victory for the number 1 in the world over the best Brazilian in the ATP rankings currently, in 24th place. Alcaraz won by 2 sets to 1, with splits of 7/5, 2/6 and 10/8 in the ten-point super tie-break, the format defined for the confrontation — the Rio native went on to lead 5-0 before suffering defeat.
After the match, the Brazilian praised his opponent and highlighted the experience of facing him. “I almost did it, guys. The guy is good, the guy is very good. It’s a pleasure to be here, it’s a pleasure to play against Carlos. And to play with mixed doubles too. It’s a pleasure to be here and I’m very, very grateful for Carlos”, he said.
Participation in the exhibition tournament is part of Fonseca’s pre-season, who resumed training at the end of November after a period of vacation. In 2025, he enjoyed the best year of his career, winning his most important titles: the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires and the ATP 500 in Basel.
With his performance, he jumped 121 positions in the ranking and reached 24th place. At the top of the list is Alcaraz, who won eight titles this year, including Roland Garros and the US Open.
A dominant season saw the Spaniard finish ahead of Italian Jannik Sinner, his main rival on tennis’ biggest stages.
João Fonseca’s 2026 season will begin in Australia, where he will compete in the Australian Open. Before the Grand Slam, the Brazilian will participate in two tournaments in the country: the ATP 250 in Brisbane, starting on December 29th, and the ATP 250 in Adelaide, between January 6th and 11th.
