Rising star Joao Fonseca says he is ‘not a fan’ of being compared to other greats of the game after his recent triumph at the Swiss Open.
On Sunday, the 19-year-old defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in straight sets to win his first ATP 500 title. It is the biggest singles trophy won by a Brazilian player on the men’s Tour since 2001, when Gustavo Kuerten won the Cincinnati Masters. Following the triumph, Fonseca made his top 30 debut on Monday in 28th spot. Since the ATP ranking system was created in 1973, only four other players from his country have been ranked higher than the teenager: Kuerten (No. 1), Thomaz Bellucci (No. 21), Thomaz Koch (No. 24), and Fernando Meligeni (No. 25).
After their final clash in Basel, Spain’s Davidovich Fokina hailed the rise of his peer, who has tipped him to rival the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the future.
“You are the person of this sport. You have a bright future for sure. You’re gonna be the next Nole (Novak Djokovic) to beat Carlos and Jannik for sure,” he said.
Fonseca is on the right track to the top of the men’s game. Other players to break into the top 30 at the same age as him include Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray. Coincidentally, the quartet achieved this milestone at the age of 19 years and two months. However, Fonseca is playing in his first full season and currently has one win over a top-10 player (Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open).
“I am not a fan of these comparisons. Everyone has their own history and I’m gonna have my own history,” Fonseca said in response to Fokina’s remarks.
“I think it’s a pleasure hearing those kind words from him. Great guy, great friend, great fighter.
“I’m trying my best every day just to be with them, but we all know that Jannik and Carlos are playing next-level tennis. All the other players from the Tour, we are working harder and harder to keep going with them.”
Fonseca will return to action on Tuesday at the Paris Masters, where he will play Denis Shapovalov in his opening match. After his recent surge, he is targeting a seeding for the Australian Open in January, which will be his fifth Grand Slam main draw.
“I think the goal at the beginning of the year was to play all the Grand Slams. I don’t remember if the main draw or just the qualifiers counted, but we adapted our goals throughout the year. I went to the coach and said: I want to be seeded at the Australian Open (in 2026),” Fonseca told ESPN Brazil.
“One of the people said I could be 28th or 27th. I’m going back to Paris with a new mindset.“
Fonseca is one of two players currently ranked in the top 100 aged 19 or under. The other is Learner Tien.
