Joao Fonseca just won the Next Gen ATP Finals, so what does that mean? Has the ATP Tour found its next superstar? After all, recent winners of the event do include the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Let’s take a look at the young Brazilian, and break down all there is to know about this up-and-coming 18-year-old.
Who is Joao Fonseca?
Fonseca is a rising tennis player who had a massive breakout season in 2024, which culminated with victory at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah over the weekend triumph.
The Brazilian wasn’t known before this year, but early on in the year, at only 17, he showed that he’s the real deal. He would keep showing that throughout this year, including recently in Saudi Arabia.
Breakthrough
The first big result from Fonseca came back home in Brazil in February of this year. He played at the Rio Open, an ATP 500 event, and made the quarter-final after stunning two really good players. He would continue to compete at the Challenger Tour, winning the Lexington one, and also at the occasional ATP event, though with less success. Overall, he showcased a pretty versatile skill set suited for all surfaces.
Winning the Next Gen Finals
Fonseca didn’t arrive in Jeddah as the favorite to win the event, as he was the youngest player there. He arrived as a player who could do something good, as the most dedicated fans were curious how he’d stack up against some fellow rising stars.
He mesmerized everyone with his play, proving to be the best player there, and it wasn’t even remotely close. While some players like Arthur Fils didn’t give their all, Fonseca truly did play the best tennis. He went undefeated at the event, beating Fils, Learner Tien, and Jakub Mensik in the group stage.
He then went on to beat Luca van Assche easily in the semi-finals and once again Tien in the final to win the trophy. It wasn’t so much that he won the event that was impressive but rather the way he won the event because he dominated.
Plain and simple, Fonseca dominated, and it looked eerily similar to how some other players dominated at the event (Sinner, Alcaraz to name a few).
Potential Superstar?
When you invoke players like Sinner and Alcaraz as a comparison, you have to ask whether he’s truly going to reach their heights. It’s a hard question to answer, arguably impossible, because so many things determine whether a player truly becomes a legendary player.
But Fonseca has the potential.
Even as a 17-year-old, he didn’t really seem too impressed facing some seasoned veterans. He simply felt comfortable on the courts opposite them, which is a huge bonus for a young player. That lack of fear will do wonders for him once he truly starts to face some of the best.
Another thing is the skill set. He has the perfect style for modern tennis. Not only does he have a precise and powerful serve, one which troubled most players this week in Jeddah, he also has a massive forehand. Truly a massive forehand that works on all surfaces.
He’s also not afraid to hit shots from either his forehand or backhand side, and does it well. The movement is also pretty good, so there isn’t so much to complain about when it comes to Fonseca. In some ways, his biggest issue is the lack of consistency.
That’s neither shocking nor upsetting for a player his age and will get better the more he plays. Whether he truly hits the peak that Alcaraz and Sinner reached remains to be seen, but his career trajectory has looked very similar to theirs.
Much like them, he came to the Next Gen ATP Finals and proved to be the best among his peers. He has Rafael Nadal as his idol, and you could do much worse than a player renowned for his work ethic and relentless grind. He also had a super solid debut season on the ATP Tour with a 11-7 record, almost earning double-digit wins on all surfaces if you include Challenger events.
Fonseca has all the tools needed to become a top-five player.
Whether he ends up being one will be determined by how hard he works for it and how lucky he is in the things he can’t control, such as injuries. Overall, watch out for Joao Fonseca in 2025 because his time isn’t coming.
His time is here.
