‘My dream is to become world No 1, win grand slam titles and make history for Brazil,” João Fonseca says with simple purity as we reach the crux of his huge ambition. Fonseca is 19 and he makes that succinct list of his goals sound almost as casual as a few fun things a more ordinary teenager might aim to do this weekend. But Fonseca is different.
He is a generational talent who, in recent years, has been spoken of as a future superstar amid predictions that he might have the best chance of denting the dominant hold that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner exert over men’s tennis. But, as time in Fonseca’s company proves, he is remarkably grounded and mature for his age. Those attributes underline his credentials far more effectively than the hype that has trailed him.
“I’ve got a long way to go,” Fonseca says with healthy realism, “because it’s a very long and difficult dream. But, at the same time, I think it’s possible and I’m doing the best things I can to achieve it.”
This time last year Fonseca was ranked No 145 in the world and he had to win three qualifying matches to reach the first round of the Australian Open. He smiles ruefully as he relives the excruciating tension of the qualifiers. Hungry players are desperate to scrap their way into the main draw where large amounts of money and ranking points can be earned. “I remember my first match was against an Argentinian guy, [Federico Agustín] Gómez. It was super tense because it was only my third slam and I was nervous. I played really tight in the beginning and then, after that, I played good.”
Fonseca won 6-4, 6-0 and he was more convincing in his second match as he dropped only three games. “But I was tense in the third qualifier because I had lost in the third quali of the US Open in 2024. So it was another tough match because I wanted to win so much and make my first main draw.”
Another Argentinian, Thiago Agustín Tirante, was ranked much higher than Fonseca but was beaten 6-4, 6-1. Fonseca had made his first grand slam tournament and his reward was a formidable challenge against the then world No 9, Andrey Rublev, who had spent 255 consecutive weeks in the top 10 and reached 10 grand slam quarter-finals.
But Rublev was crushed after a blistering and seemingly nerveless display from Fonseca who won in straight sets to announce his arrival on the world stage. “Playing well and beating Rublev was just amazing for me and a great achievement,” he says. “I was playing good and I was confident I could win the biggest match I’d ever played at that time. As the underdog, I had no pressure. I just played my game because I knew he would feel the pressure against an 18-year-old. I was just there to enjoy it and I played amazing tennis.”
Even though he lost a five-setter in the second round against Lorenzo Sonego, last year’s Australian Open heightened the already intense expectations of Fonseca. “My life changed a little bit,” he says. “Not on the interior, with my personality, but the exterior changed a lot – with many more people following me and so many more people knowing me. My ranking went up and my level [of play] gave me more confidence. When my parents got home they said: ‘You don’t know what it’s like in Brazil now. People know you.’ But it was part of the goal to achieve a lot and become No 1. That’s my dream. So it was a great step in my career.”
Even more impressively, Fonseca won his first ATP title a month later in Buenos Aires, beating four Argentinian players in front of a vociferous crowd. He describes that championship as his sweetest moment of 2025. “It was my first title and the highlight of last year. I could also say Basel, but the first time just means a lot.”
Fonseca won his second ATP title in Basel in October when he defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the Swiss Masters. Davidovich Fokina praised Fonseca’s “unbelievable tennis” and described him as the next Novak Djokovic. “You are the person of this sport,” Davidovich Fokina told Fonseca after losing in straight sets. “You are, for sure, going to be the next Nole [Djokovic] to beat Carlos [Alcaraz] and Jannik [Sinner].”
While admitting that “it’s a pleasure hearing those kind words”, Fonseca responded by saying: “Actually, I am not a fan of the comparisons. I’m going to make my own history.”
Fonseca rose to world No 24 after that victory but he is acutely aware of the gulf that separates Alcaraz and Sinner, who have won the last eight majors between them, from the rest of the pack. He watched their past three grand slam finals at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. He picks out the unforgettable final in Paris when Alcaraz produced a miraculous comeback from two sets down after it looked as if Sinner had an iron grip on the title.
“It was brilliant tennis and I watched the full match at home. The level was unbelievable. It’s difficult to say I can play that level. But I’m practising hard and working 100% every day so at least one day I can play at this level, against these guys in finals.”
He needs to improve in many ways to reach such a sustained peak: “It is a lot of things. Consistency, responsibility, mentality. The most important thing is your mentality – because that gives you the responsibility and consistency to keep working hard every day. And the right mentality on court is the most important thing for you to be a great tennis player, to become a legend of the sport. At our level all the players are really good. But the amazing players, the top-flight players, know how to play the important points and how to deal with pressure and nerves.”
Courage is also vital. Against Rublev last year, Fonseca was often brave in his choice of shot at crucial points. “It’s more to do with confidence. I practise those shots a lot but sometimes it’s normal to think: ‘What do I do now?’ You don’t want to miss the important points. At the same time I just think: ‘I want to do what I have practised so hard. Just go for the shot.’ Sometimes I’m going to miss, but I did the right thing. I try to be brave. Sometimes I go crazy when I miss an important point. But I have the courage and I just go for the shots and it’s great.”
It will be hard for Fonseca to go deep in the Australian Open this month as he has been struggling with a back injury and chose to miss recent tournaments in Brisbane and Adelaide as a precaution. He has been drawn with world No 89 Eliot Spizzirri of the US in round one and could face Sinner in the third round.
Fonseca says: “Every day I’m feeling better. Hopefully I can be near 100% [when the tournament starts on Sunday]. I need to respect my body and take the right decision because I have a long career ahead of me. I want to play 15 more years. So you need to take care of your body and understand that sometimes you have to wait. But hopefully I can play well these next weeks. If I don’t, well, it doesn’t matter. It’s part of the process.”
Fonseca has yet to play Sinner or Alcaraz in a competitive match – but he faced the Spaniard in an exhibition in Miami last month. Alcaraz won the first set 7-5, Fonseca took the second 6-2 and the third was a tie-break which the world No 1 shaded 10-8.
“I’d already practised with him two or three times,” Fonseca says of Alcaraz. “But it was great to see how he deals with the important points. I played a good match and almost got him in the tie-break. We talked a little about life and his career before the match. He’s a great guy, very humble, and an inspiration for the next generation.”
Fonseca thinks carefully when I ask him which player, from this next generation, might challenge Alcaraz and Sinner first. “I’m going to say [Jakub] Mensik. I really like his game. He’s a very complete guy, very confident and also young [at 20]. He’s already won a masters and he can do great things. He’s a great friend as well.”
Mensik has the game to rise to the top but the Czech will do so without the fervour surrounding Fonseca who is already a phenomenon in Brazil. Comparisons are being made with Gustavo Kuerten – his countryman who was world No 1 and won three French Opens between 1997 and 2001. “Guga is not only the idol of Brazilian people that follow tennis,” Fonseca says. “He’s an idol for the whole nation because of his charisma and the way he represented Brazil.”
Almost every Fonseca match is played against a sea of Brazilian colour and noise with his fans kicking up an almighty racket of passionate support. It’s compelling, of course, but how does Fonseca deal with their expectations, and those of so many others who have made grand predictions about his future? “My parents and my coach help me a lot and I know you can’t control the expectations. You can’t control what people are going to say. You just need to focus on your routine and what you need to do to become a better player and a better person.”
Fonseca pauses and then, maintaining eye contact, the impressive teenager says: “I know what people are saying. I can hear it, I can read it: ‘Is he going to be the next Sinner or Alcaraz?’ We don’t know the future. It’s unpredictable. But I’m working very hard towards it and I’m just thinking what I need to do to achieve it.”
