Joao Fonseca is set to make his second Australian Open appearance later this month.
The teenager took the tennis world by storm at Melbourne Park last year when, in the first Grand Slam match of his career, he knocked out ninth seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets.
His campaign came to an end in the second round, however, as Fonseca bowed out to Lorenzo Sonego in a lengthy five-setter.
Where do you think Joao Fonseca will be ranked at the end of the 2026 season?
This time around, the Brazilian will enter the Australian Open with a year of experience on the ATP Tour under his belt, having recorded an impressive debut season.
Fonseca was scheduled to feature at the Adelaide International next week, but he has now withdrawn from the ATP 250 event.
Joao Fonseca explains his withdrawal from the Adelaide International
When asked in his pre-tournament press conference why he pulled out, Fonseca said: “Unfortunately, I couldn’t, I’m not able to play here. It’s difficult to make this decision.
“I felt those days that we were practicing, I mean, every day feeling a little bit better, but it’s difficult to say that I’m a hundred per cent.
“We are trying our best to recover a hundred per cent to play the Australian Open, which is our main goal. The decision is not made. We want to play, we think that it’s going to be possible.
“So, yeah, we want to focus on the recovery, and unfortunately, I couldn’t play here, and I hope to come back stronger next year.
“I was born with something in my back, and sometimes it’s more tight. I already had a stress fracture five years ago, but it’s something that it’s going to be in my body, so I need to deal with it.
“I’m just trying my best to recover. We did an MRI, and it’s nothing very serious, but [it] can be serious, so we want to be a hundred per cent to play.”
Joao Fonseca says his injury is not to do with the packed schedule
The end of the 2025 tennis season saw a number of injuries occur, which many stars put down to the packed schedule.
Holger Rune’s Achilles injury sparked debate on social media when British number one Jack Draper took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to call for the ATP Tour to adapt to protect player health.
When asked if he felt his setback was due to the demands of the calendar, Fonseca replied: “I don’t think so because it’s just the start of the season.
“I had pre-season and, yeah, I had time to recover, I had time to stay off of tennis. Then, after pre-season, and getting ready, unfortunately, it started this pain.
How would you solve the tennis injury crisis?
“I don’t think that’s the reason, I mean, the ATP schedule, that was the reason that I’m injured.
“I see a lot of players complaining about the crowded schedule of the year. I can’t complain, it’s just my second year playing the tour.
“So, yeah, for now I’m just enjoying every tournament and getting to experience some new places. Yeah, I think that’s it.”
Fonseca is currently ranked 29th in the world, a position that will see him seeded for the Australian Open, should he enter.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
