João Fonseca once again postponed his official debut to 2026. Fonseca chose not to compete in the ATP 250 in Adelaide, Australia, which starts this Saturday (10), after being left out of the ATP 250 in Brisbane and the squad for Brazil’s duel against Canada for the Davis Cup.
The decision is part of cautious planning for the beginning of the year, prioritizing the athlete’s physical recovery. The absence of these commitments raised alarms about his physical condition at the beginning of the season.
The ATP 250 in Adelaide would be the last test before the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam on the calendar, but it ended up being scrapped to avoid greater risks.
Why won’t João Fonseca play in the ATP 250 in Adelaide?
In an official statement, João Fonseca explained that the decision was taken after joint evaluation with his team. The main reason is the recovery of the lower back, which has been requiring special attention in recent days. “In the last few days, we have focused on the treatment and recovery of the lower back. After training here in Adelaide, I carried out an assessment with my team and we decided to focus our efforts on the Australian Open”, said the Brazilian.
According to the tennis player, the plan is to continue training in the Australian city for a few more days, maintaining specific preparation for the Grand Slam.
Position in the Fonseca ranking
In the first update of the ATP rankings in 2026, João Fonseca ended up falling five positions, now appearing in 29th place. The drop is a direct reflection of the absence from competitions in the first weeks of the year.
Without taking the court for the second week in a row, the Brazilian still runs the risk of losing new places in the rankings. The expectation is that the impact will be minimized with a good campaign at the Australian Open.
Despite the decline in the ATP list, Fonseca remains in a comfortable position for the Australian Grand Slam. Even without playing in 2026 so far, he is guaranteed to be seeded at the Australian Open.
When is João Fonseca’s next game
The next competition scheduled for Rio is the Australian Open, which starts on January 18th.
