Joao Fonseca says it is a ‘pleasure’ to be able to play against the top names in tennis after storming into the fourth round of the Indian Wells Masters.
The unseeded Brazilian knocked out Tommy Paul 6-2, 6-3, to record his third consecutive win at the same tournament for the first time this year. Fonseca has also beaten 16th seed Karen Khachanov and Belgium’s Raphael Collignon. Against Paul, he produced 20 winners and capitalised on his rival’s unforced error tally of 31.
Fonseca has been tipped by many as a future star of the men’s Tour with the ability to potentially rival the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. However, he is still trying to find consistency on the court. Prior to Indian Wells, he had won one match across three tournaments.
As for trying to live up to the expectations of others, he is taking it in his stride.
“If people think that I can be good stuff, that I can play some good tennis, that I can be there playing with Alcaraz and Sinner. Then I try to bring it in a positive way, not as pressure but as a privilege,” he said.
“People are saying I have the game, I have the level. So let’s keep working and then try to do the best that I can to achieve.
“I’m a chill and very calm guy, so I just try to take positive things about those things.”
World No.2 Sinner will be Fonseca’s next opponent in the desert. The Italian has dropped just seven games in his last two matches played. His latest performance was a 6-3, 6-2 win over former top 10 player Denis Shapovalov.
“Both are on another level,” he said of Sinner and Alcaraz.
“Right now they’re playing such amazing tennis and they’re winning almost every tournament.
“It’s a really big thing to play against those guys. I’m gonna enjoy playing out there. I’m gonna try, of course, to win.
“But at the same time, try to enjoy my time on court, try to enjoy as much as possible to see where my game is, what is the thing that he does that anyone can beat those guys.”
Fonseca heads into the showdown having won six out of his last seven matches against players ranked inside the top 30 since September. However, he has only beaten a top 10 player once in his career, which was at the 2025 Australian Open when he defeated Andrey Rublev.
Fonseca is the first Brazilian to reach the fourth round at Indian Wells since Thomaz Bellucci in 2012.
