Carlos Alcaraz and Joao Fonseca are set to do battle for the very first time on the ATP Tour at the Miami Open in a highly anticipated matchup.
Fonseca, still just 19 years old, has been tipped by many as the man to snap the dominance of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in men’s tennis following his breakthrough year in 2025.
The Brazilian took on Sinner for the first time at the Indian Wells Open, and forced the Italian to two tiebreaks, but ultimately walked away empty handed.
Which Grand Slam title would you like to see Joao Fonseca win?
Now, Fonseca will be tasked with the world number one, Alcaraz, who will be looking to bounce back after his 2026 winning streak came to an end in Indian Wells.
Ahead of their maiden clash in Miami, the Spaniard had high praise for his upcoming opponent.
Carlos Alcaraz previews his match with Joao Fonseca in Miami
In an interview with Tennis TV, Alcaraz said of Fonseca: “I love watching him. We could see last year how big Fonseca is here in Miami.
“I think it’s great to see a lot of people and a lot of fans around, screaming and cheering, hearing them so loudly. I think it’s great. So just trying take the joga bonito [play beautiful] from Brazil.”
Asked about Fonseca’s performance against Sinner at the Indian Wells Open, Alcaraz said: “I think he has the level, he has the shots, he has the power.
Where do you think Joao Fonseca will be ranked at the end of the 2026 season?
“I would say that he has everything. A lot of things to improve, obviously, but if he does the right things he is going to be there for sure.
“He is going to fight for great things. He has to improve. He has to learn how to deal with expectation.
“How to deal with everything on court. And obviously, to choose the right things all the time. When or if he does it, he is going to be a player to beat.”
Joao Fonseca’s previous exhibition meeting with Carlos Alcaraz
Though Alcaraz and Fonseca have never gone toe-to-toe with each other at an ATP Tour-level event, they have met before at an exhibition event.
At the Miami Invitational during December, the two played out an exhibition match, in what marked their very first bout.
In front of a crowd of 14,108, the two split sets before contesting a decisive third-set tiebreak, in which Alcaraz came out on top.
This time around, ATP points and prize money will be on the line, and Alcaraz needs to pick up as many wins as possible in Miami to keep a firm grip on the world number one position.
Sinner’s Indian Wells triumph saw him close in on Alcaraz with 1000 points added to his tally, and he now trails his rival by 2150 points.
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