Joao Fonseca wins the Next Gen Finals title in Jeddah - UBITENNIS

Joao Fonseca wins the Next Gen Finals title in Jeddah

By sampaolo
4 Min Read

Joao Fonseca rallied from one set down to beat Learner Tien 2-4 4-3 (10-8) 4-0 4-2 in the championships match at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah. Fonseca finished the tournament unbeaten becoming the second youngest champion in the history of the Next Gen Finals. 

Fonseca started the season as world number 730 and ended it as the world number 145. He clinched his first tour-level match against Arthur Fils en route to the quarter finals in Rio de Janeiro last February.

Fonseca and Tien met for the third time in their career on the tennis court. The Brazilian player beat his US opponent in the US Open final in 2023 and in the round-robin match at this year’s Next Gen ATP Finals earlier this week. 

Tien played vert well on serve in the early stages of the match and earned his only break in the first game. The US player held on his next service games to seal the opening set 4-2. 

Both players held on their service games. Tien saved two break points in the second game of the second set. Fonseca held serve from 0-30 down on the deciding 40-40 point in the fifth game for 3-2. Tien held serve to force the set to a tie-break. 

Tien held a set point at 7-8 in the tie-break at 7-8. Fonseca held his nerve to seal the tie-break 10-8 on his fifth set point drawing the match level to one set apiece. 

Fonseca earned his first break of the match in the first game of the third set. The South American player converted his fourth break point in the third game and held serve at love to win the third set 4-0. 

Tien held serve in the first game of the fourth set, but Fonseca broke serve for the third time in the match in the fifth game before serving out the biggest win of his career with a hold at 15. 

Fonseca won 83% of his first serve points and 68% of his second serve points. 

Fonseca has followed in the footsteps of Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who won the past editions of the Next Gen Finals. Former world number 1 Rafael Nadal was watching from the stands. 

Fonseca won five consecutive wins this week, including two five-set matches against top seed Arthur Fils and Jakub Mensik. 

“I was really nervous before the match. I knew it was going to be difficult. I played a final against Learner as a junior at the 2023 US Open. I know the way he can play. He is such nice guy and a great player, so I knew it was going to be difficult, mentally and physically, but I got my way through. Honestly, I don’t know how I did it in the second set. I was just trying to keep my game strong on serve. I was not playing my best at the beginning, but after the second set, I think the third set was another. I was much more aggressive going for the shots and he got a little bit more tight. In the fourth set I just did my best and got the win”, said Fonseca. 

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