‘Sinner and Alcaraz should watch out – a new Big Three is coming’ | Tennis | Sport
Joao Fonseca is ready to cause the biggest of stirs within men’s tennis and will soon rival both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. The young Brazilian is destined to become the third pillar in a new era Big Three.
Tennis is yet to really recover from the loss of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, with Novak Djokovic the last remaining but dwindling member of an age the sport will never forget. Brits will chuck Andy Murray into the mix and rightly so, but the reputed Big Three defined tennis for two decades. Sinner and Alcaraz have since taken up the mantle, but face shoes that are far too big to fill. For starters, to create an ultramodern Big Three, a third column is needed. And the pair need look no further than Fonseca: a teenager ready to send shivers down the spines of Grand Slam champions and become the public’s darling.
The case for Fonseca rapidly ascending, more than he has already done, into the sport’s Pantheon is easy to argue. At 19, he has already cracked the ATP’s top 30 and it could be argued he’s already one of the world’s best.
But the promise Fonseca withholds is almost tear-inducing. The Next Gen ATP Finals have just passed and in 2024 Fonseca was named champion at the age of 18. There, he produced a scintillating display for the public and went on to live up to expectations, climbing from outside the world’s top 600 in early 2024 to become a top-30 player by November 2025.
This year he captured the Swiss Indoors and Argentina Open, proving he can already cut it with and beat senior tour pros to titles. But above all else it is his raw, modern power that makes him oh-so-dangerous.
At such a young age, Fonseca possesses one of tennis’ most potent forehands, which when executed precisely, is almost frightening to watch. His speed and spin rate rank above average and he is privy to this power across various surfaces.
It was almost one year ago that Fonseca showed exactly what he is, and most certainly will be capable of consistently, with his victory over Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open. Rublev was not at his best but simply could not live with the forehand of qualifier Fonseca in a humbling 3-0 defeat.
To consider Fonseca a rising star may actually be inaccurate, as in 2025 alone he tallied 11 wins against top-10 players. He is a future legend in the making.
If we ignore statistics and his ability, Fonseca’s attitude will surely see him hit the highest of heights. Time and time again, he does not shy away from the best players in the game and as he grows, he’ll soon overcome them on a regular basis, much to the adoration of the audience.
Like adversary Alcaraz, he is fearless. But he also carries the flag of a nation that are now strangers to a serving superstar. The last time Brazil celebrated a major men’s champion was 2001.
When Fonseca cracked the top 100 he became the youngest Brazilian to ever do so. He has the ground laid to endear himself to adoring fans, who have a lot of love to give since Guga Kuerten’s retirement.
Fonseca was also the second-youngest South American to achieve the feat this century, behind Juan Martin Del Potro. It is the Argentine legend whose career should serve as the 19-year-old’s benchmark. The same should be said for Kuerten.
Tennis’ next superstar has all the power of Del Potro and has been compared to the former US Open champion. But Fonseca’s might is more compact and suited to modern tennis.
Only two other players have won the Next Gen ATP Finals at the age of 18: Alcaraz and Sinner. While he may still need some time to refine all aspects of his game, Fonseca has the attributes to challenge the pair who sit on the throne and even usurp them should he realise his phenomenal promise.
