Even after the cheers faded, Joao Fonseca remained on Court 7`s clay surface. Armed with a black marker and his match-worn baseball cap turned backward, looking like a typical 18-year-old again after a performance wise beyond his years, Fonseca happily posed for photos with dozens of fans. He signed autographs on everything put in front of him – tennis balls, hats, shirts. Once he finished with fans on one side, he moved to the other, determined to greet everyone who had stayed.
He smiled broadly throughout, appearing simply thrilled to be experiencing his first French Open. Yet, his play during Tuesday`s first-round match revealed a different narrative. Facing Hubert Hurkacz, the tournament`s 30th seed and a former Wimbledon semifinalist, Fonseca was dominant. He seized control early, breaking Hurkacz in the third game of the opening set, and maintained his advantage from there.
In front of an enthusiastic crowd filling the 1,500-seat court, with fans waving Brazilian flags and lining the railings, Fonseca showed why he has long been viewed as tennis`s next potential superstar. He defeated Hurkacz convincingly in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2, in just an hour and 40 minutes.
While Fonseca told reporters Tuesday that simply reaching the second round was “just a dream come true,” his upcoming match against Pierre-Hugues Herbert on Thursday will undoubtedly be a highly sought-after ticket this week. Each match Fonseca plays, every highlight shot and victory over a seeded opponent, will further propel the talented teenager into greater fame. He sounded prepared for the attention.
“Expectations will come. People will talk, compare [me] with others,” Fonseca said after beating Hurkacz. “For my mindset, it’s good to be surrounded by positive people who can help me maintain the right mentality. I need to do my best to improve my routines, stay with good influences, stay healthy, and not focus on external expectations.”
“I`m managing it well, but sometimes the pressure will appear. It’s normal. You have to handle it.”
Fonseca`s impressive performance for the Court 7 spectators on Tuesday was nothing new for those who have followed his brief but exciting trajectory in tennis.
Fonseca first drew global attention in 2023 by winning the US Open boys` title and finishing the year as the world No. 1 junior player. He became the first Brazilian male player to achieve the year-end top junior ranking, catching the eye of the sport`s biggest names. He was invited to the year-end ATP Finals as a hitting partner for stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Daniil Medvedev.
Just three months later, Fonseca secured his first ATP Tour victory – a stunning 6-0, 6-4 win over the seventh seed, Arthur Fils, at his hometown Rio Open, an event he had attended as a fan since childhood. He went on to reach the quarterfinals of the 500-level tournament, with his matches throughout the week attracting crowds akin to soccer games. His ranking surged. Originally committed to playing college tennis at the University of Virginia in the fall of 2024, Fonseca chose instead to turn professional.
The excitement surrounding him continued to build.
Fonseca was the first man born in 2006 to win an ATP Tour match, and he continued to collect “youngest player” records as the season progressed.
He claimed his first Challenger title in August – the youngest player to win at that level last season – steadily climbing the rankings. By the end of 2024, he was competing in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at the Next Generation ATP Finals, featuring the top eight players aged 20 and under. Fonseca was the youngest participant and the lowest-ranked at No. 145. He won the title.
While few others had doubts, the win validated Fonseca`s path.
“It was incredibly important for me to see I`m on the right path,” Fonseca later said. “To compete against the top eight guys under 20, and to see their level, it was fantastic to win the title and a really cool experience.”
Even his more established peers expressed admiration.
“I truly believe this is just the beginning of his ascent in the rankings and his demonstration of true potential,” said Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2021 French Open finalist, at the United Cup the following week. “I expect to see great things from him in the coming years.”
Fonseca delivered on Tsitsipas` prediction just weeks later. After winning three qualifying matches, Fonseca made his highly anticipated Grand Slam main draw debut at the Australian Open. In his first-round match against the ninth seed and 10-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Andrey Rublev, Fonseca made a memorable formal introduction to the tennis world with a 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory.
The crowd, many wearing Brazilian soccer jerseys, roared in applause after match point, and he celebrated with the composure of a veteran. He later remarked it was his first time playing in a “huuuuuge stadium.”
He lost his subsequent match in a five-set battle to Lorenzo Sonego but broke into the top 100 following his performance in Melbourne.
His momentum continued. In his next tournament, Fonseca transitioned from a promising talent to a present-day star, securing his first ATP title at the Argentina Open. He became the youngest Brazilian player in history to win on tour and the fourth-youngest ATP player to win a title this century, behind only Kei Nishikori, Rafael Nadal, and Carlos Alcaraz.
While Fonseca has always held high ambitions for himself, even he was surprised by the speed of his results.
“I hoped I could get this far, but not this fast,” Fonseca told a reporter while at Indian Wells a few weeks later. “I was working hard for this, but yes, it`s happened faster than even I imagined.”
During Nadal`s press conference on Sunday following a court ceremony honoring him, the 14-time French Open champion was asked about only one current player. It wasn`t Alcaraz or Iga Swiatek, the defending champions present at the ceremony, nor any other title favorites, but instead, Fonseca.
“He is a very young player who started his career exceptionally well,” Nadal commented. “He has a brilliant future ahead. I wish him all the best. I`ve met him a couple of times. He seems to have a great bond with his family and those around him. He is very well-mannered. I truly hope he has a fantastic future.”
The question to Nadal was not unusual. It seems nearly every top player has been asked about Fonseca recently. Coco Gauff, herself a recent teenage sensation, declared she`s been “on the Fonseca train since early.” Alcaraz, another former teenage prodigy turned superstar, stated Fonseca`s “potential is immense” and praised his “truly, really high” level of play.
Even Novak Djokovic, the 24-time major champion who was once a rising star himself, has been impressed.
“He appears to be handling the expectations and attention very well,” Djokovic observed. “I don’t know him personally that closely, but from what I’ve seen on court – not just his game, but his demeanor, and the people around him – there seems to be a great level of balance, professionalism, and dedication, similar to what we’ve seen with Alcaraz over the past few years. He possesses the potential to truly become a superstar of this sport. No doubt about it.”
For Fonseca, still just 18, it`s sometimes surreal to hear players he has admired for most of his life know who he is, let alone speak so highly of him. He is still getting used to seeing players like Grigor Dimitrov and Alex de Minaur beside him on the practice courts, admitting it occasionally doesn`t feel real. His matches globally have drawn large, often packed crowds, frequently with passionate Brazilian fans waving flags and wearing yellow and green gear. The atmosphere was so electric at the Miami Open, where he reached the third round, that Fonseca later said he felt like he “was in Brazil.”
On Tuesday, he estimated about “80% of the crowd was Brazilian” on Court 7 – calling it “super nice.”
He still finds it slightly unbelievable when someone stops him for a photo, but it’s becoming more routine with each tournament, and he`s always happy to do it.
“Three years ago, I was the kid asking for the picture,” Fonseca recalled. “I understand what that means. It`s a dream come true that people are now inspired by me.”
Despite the growing wave of excitement, Fonseca and his family are aiming to keep things as normal and grounded as possible for now. While agencies like Roger Federer’s Team8 have reportedly sought to sign him, he has declined a formal agent for the time being, instead relying on his parents to manage that role.
He added Franco Davin, who coached Juan Martin del Potro to his 2009 US Open victory, to his team this spring, but Fonseca`s primary coach remains Guilherme Teixeira, whom he first met and trained with as a 12-year-old at the Rio de Janeiro Country Club. Fonseca maintains a small inner circle, preferring it that way. Those close to him help him stay grounded and focused on the path ahead.
Like most young players, especially those who have already accomplished so much, Fonseca harbors significant dreams for his career. However, he insists he is focused only on the immediate next steps, understanding they are what will lead to his ultimate goals. Currently, he is concentrated on qualifying for the main draw of every Grand Slam this season and improving his ranking sufficiently to play in as many Masters 1000 and ATP 500 tournaments as possible.
He will have an opportunity to reach the third round at a Grand Slam for the first time in his next match against Herbert, a French veteran nearly twice his age, on Thursday. Tuesday`s win will likely elevate him to a new career-high ranking around No. 57, and another victory would place him just outside the top 50. The winner would face either fifth seed Jack Draper or beloved Frenchman Gael Monfils in the Round of 32.
Fonseca admitted he has sometimes struggled this spring with the weight of external pressure, saying it made him feel tense on court and diminished his enjoyment. But he says he has found a way past that and is now ready to simply appreciate his time in Paris, however long it lasts, regardless of how many people are watching and speculating about his future.
“Now I feel very comfortable,” Fonseca concluded. “I feel very happy on court. Happy and playing well.”
