Joao Fonseca is on the cusp of stardom… or maybe he’s already surpassed that evolution point.
The 18 year old teen phenom just won the ATP Next Gen tournament in Jeddah with a 24 43 40 42 win vs. 19 year old lefty American Learner Tien.
The Brazilian has shown hints of being extraordinary for a while now. If you weren’t paying attention, he won US Open juniors (also vs Tien in 2023), he won practice sets off Carlos and Rune at last year’s World Tour Finals as a hitting partner, made QF at ATP 500 Rio and Bucharest this year, won title at ATP Lexington Challenger this year.
Entering 2024 ranked 730 in the world, Fonseca will start 2025 ranked 145, sponsored by Rolex, ON, Yonex, Claro and he is in position to become the ATP’s top South American attraction. Fonseca’s game doesn’t quite catch your eye like Federer, Nadal or Djokovic but it consistently achieves positive results. He has that uncanny ability to do everything, smart tactics, absorb pace, court mobility boosted by yoga, two handed backhand and a very good one handed slice, damaging serve, ability to attack net, and he can unleash baseline firepower. And he has a smooth, focused demeanor that suggests this is a kid that will not be denied.
I saw Fonseca live once this year at US Open qualies, third round vs. American Eliot Spizzirri. The two titans slugged it out for over three hours in a wild, sensational, high level duel – probably the best match of qualies this year – and Fonseca ultimately was thwarted 67 76 46.
It was an incredible match, a ten out of ten on the scale of brilliant tennis combat. Both players were over their heads playing lights out jaw dropping tennis the whole match, the difference was Spizzirri rose to the occasion and played the best match of his life, less than an hour from home in Connecticut. At the net handshake, I was impressed how Fonseca just accepted the heartbreaking defeat, which cost him his first Grand Slam main draw appearance, and showed genuine respect and even some happiness to his conqueror for playing incredible tennis. He did nothing wrong, it was Spizzirri’s day of tennis magic. I noticed how Fonseca and Spizzirri bonded at the net, it was beautiful to see. The kid is a beast of a competitor but he also has the kind of class that can’t be taught.
Right now, it appears Fonseca is well on his way to becoming one of the ATP’s ultra elites in the next two or three years. Yes, Fonseca is the next one.
Brazil · Joao Fonseca · on · Yonex
Steve · December 30, 2024 at 7:37 am
Yep. Very special player.