Joao Fonseca and Novak Djokovic are at opposite ends of their careers, but could meet on the court in the near future.
Fonseca should be feared at the French Open, having recently enjoyed a rapid rise to 59th in the ATP Tour rankings.
The Brazilian has since dropped to 65th, but Fonseca remains a real threat as the second Grand Slam of 2025 approaches.
Fonseca has been backed to break the top 10 by Alexander Zverev, with the 18-year-old already boasting one career title.
He triumphed at the Argentina Open earlier this season, having won the NextGen ATP Finals at the end of last season.
Joao Fonseca always tells his coach he wants to play Novak Djokovic at Grand Slams
His focus now turns to the Madrid Open, but he also has one eye on Roland Garros, having told the French Open website: “When you start these big tournaments, the Grand Slams, the qualifiers, I always say to my coach, ‘If I go to the main draw, I want to play Djokovic,’ because it’s probably one of the last times that opportunity will arise.
“I hope I can face him. I would love to challenge him in the first or second round. I would try to play my best tennis, the result will not matter then, but I would just enjoy myself.
“I like playing against the top seeds, I like the challenge and I play without pressure. I also like to exchange and interact with the public, it’s an experience I want to live here (in Paris).
“Some players will want to play the easier opponents first, but I prefer to play against the most iconic ones.”
Joao Fonseca recalls first seeing Novak Djokovic and Andrey Rublev
The Brazilian teenager does, of course, know what it takes to both play and beat seeded players at Grand Slam level.
Having made it through qualifying at the Australian Open, he knocked out ninth seed Andrey Rublev on his Grand Slam debut.
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He eventually fell to Lorenzo Sonego in round two, but is now thinking about an appearance at Roland Garros next month, having played the French Open juniors in 2022 and 2023.
Looking back at those experiences, he said: “It was incredible, even the clay is different. We don’t have that type of clay in Rio, it’s more present in the south of Brazil where it’s much finer.
“I remember going to fill a small cup of clay with my coach. He’s kept it on the shelf in his office at the club ever since.
“It was the first time I saw exceptional tennis players in the players’ lounge or on the nearby practice courts.
“I saw Djokovic, I saw Rublev, it was an exceptional experience. I’m looking forward to being there this year for the first time as a pro.”
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