Joao Fonseca wins first ATP title and fires immediate warning to Sinner and Alcaraz | Tennis | Sport
Joao Fonseca has claimed his first ATP title at the age of 18, becoming the seventh youngest player to win an ATP tournament.
The Brazilian won the Argentinian Open defeating home favourite and No. 5 seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 7-6(1) in the final.
He then made an immediate vow to those at the top of the men’s game, such as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, that he is gunning for them.
After the match Fonseca said: “Unbelievable week. Even in Argentina there are Brazilians cheering for me. That’s amazing.
“Every Brazilian, everyone from their country wants this support from your own country.
“What I’m living is just unbelievable. I wanna thank my friends and sponsors for helping me achieve my dream. To just play tennis. My real dream is to play tennis.
“Of course I want to be number one and win Slams. But my dream is just to play tennis.”
Fonseca won the Next Gen Finals at the end of the 2024 season and followed that up with the Canberra Challenger title.
The teenager’s big breakthrough came at the Australian open last month, where he emerged from qualifying before beating No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev in the first round.
Many experts expect Fonseca to be a superstar of the future, and he has clearly impressed his peers.
Before he even got chance to lift the trophy in Buenos Aires, Alcaraz took to social media to congratulate his new challenger.
Alcaraz wrote: “Impressive Joao! Many congrats!!!”
Fonseca avoided any hostile crowds despite beating Argentinians on his way to the title. And he was very respectful of his opponent after ensuring the trophy heads to their rival nation.
“Franciso is a great player and a very respectful person who has welcomed me these days at the tournament,” he added.
“A round of applause for him. I want to thank all the people who are here, especially the Brazilians. I felt at home in Argentina, even if it sounds strange. I would like to come to Buenos Aires for many years.”
