João Fonseca, 19, defeated American Tommy Paul at the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells, in the United States, by 2 sets to 0, with partials of 6/2 and 6/3. With the victory, this Sunday (8), he guaranteed a place in the round of 16 of the tournament.
In the next phase, the Brazilian, 35th in the ATP rankings (Association of Professional Tennis Players), will face the Italian Jannik Sinner, number 2 in the world. The victory was one of the most important in Fonseca’s young career. With the result, he is among the 16 best in the tournament in the Californian desert.
Fonseca imposed his power from the back of the court and controlled the match from the beginning against Paul, 23rd seed in the first Masters 1000 of the season.
The Brazilian broke early in the first set and kept the pressure on to close it calmly by 6/2.
In the second half, he repeated the script with solidity on his serve, aggressiveness with his right and a new break that ended up leading to the definitive victory by 6/3.
Fonseca had already shown personality in the previous round by turning around a dramatic match against Russian Karen Khachanov, saving two match points before prevailing in three sets to reach the third round of the Californian tournament for the first time.
After ending 2025 in 24th position in the world rankings, Fonseca began the new season facing physical difficulties. He withdrew from participating in the Adelaide and Brisbane championships due to a chronic problem in his lower back and, with a performance below his usual level, he was eliminated in the debut of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam on the calendar, and the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires.
At the Rio Open, in February, he reached the round of 16 in singles, but was unable to get past Peruvian Ignacio Buse. In the doubles competition, he won the title alongside Brazilian Marcelo Melo.
On the 1st, Fonseca won the MGM Slam, in Las Vegas, a tournament that is not part of the tennis circuit nor adds points in the world rankings.
With AFP
