Joao Fonseca’s start to the season is delayed even further as the Brazilian has withdrawn from the tournament in Adelaide.
The Brazilian had a sensational season last year, winning the title in Buenos Aires as well as breaking into the world’s top 50.
That year continued to get even better as he reached a peak ranking of 24 in the world in November.
However, that seems to have affected his body at the start of the 2026 season as he withdrew from Brisbane.
Now Fonseca’s back injury seems to have got worse as he has now had to withdraw from the tournament in Adelaide.
Speaking in a press conference Fonseca detailed his injury that has led to a frustrating start to the year, “Unfortunately I’m not able to play here,” Fonseca announced to the ATP website.
“It’s difficult to make this decision. I felt those days that we were practising, every day feeling a little bit better, but it’s difficult to say that I’m a hundred per cent. I was born with something in my back and sometimes it’s more tight. I already had a stress fracture five years ago, but it’s something that it’s going to be in my body, so I need to deal with it. I’m just trying my best to recover.
“We did a MRI, and it’s nothing very serious, but can be serious, so we want to be a hundred per cent to play.”
It’s now a race against time in order to get fit for the Australian Open which would be his first tournament of the year.
At last year’s Australian Open, Fonseca qualified for the event and knocked out Andrey Rublev in straight sets.
Ahead of the tournament Fonseca believes he will be fit for the first Grand Slam of the year, “We are trying our best to recover a hundred per cent to play the Australian Open, which is our main goal,” Fonseca claimed.
“That decision is not made. We want to play, we think that it’s going to be possible. So we want to focus on the recovery, and unfortunately I couldn’t play here, and I hope to come back stronger next year.”
The Australian Open starts on the 18th of January.
