Joao Fonseca has spoken highly of Jannik Sinner ahead of their first-ever career meeting at Indian Wells.
Sinner takes on Fonseca for a spot in the quarterfinals of Indian Wells, where the Italian is the second seed.
He has yet to drop a set from his wins against Dalibor Svrcina and Denis Shapovalov, while Fonseca has battled past Raphael Collignon, Karen Khachanov and Tommy Paul so far.
The Brazilian superstar has now previewed his maiden clash with Sinner, referencing just how much ATP success he and Carlos Alcaraz have enjoyed recently.
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Joao Fonseca praises ‘huge player’ Jannik Sinner at Indian Wells
Fonseca said after knocking out Paul: “I mean, I don’t need to say that Jannik is a huge player, he’s won several titles, him and Carlos, they are winning everything.
“So yeah I just rest tomorrow and then on Tuesday back on court, trying to put as much pressure that I can, and trying to play like this.
“So yeah, I’ll say it’s an award we tennis players, we look for, playing against the top players, so yeah it’s going to be a pleasure, and hopefully I can get the win.”
It’s a great attitude from the 19-year-old, who is now facing a third successive seeded player after his wins over 16th seed Khachanov and 23rd seed Paul.
Can Joao Fonseca challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz?
Alcaraz has definitely been the standout player this season, winning both of the tournaments he has entered so far.
But he has been joined in his recent dominance by Sinner, with the pair remarkably combining to win each of the last nine Grand Slam titles.
Novak Djokovic represents the most recent other champion, emerging victorious at the US Open in 2023.
As shown at the 2026 Australian Open, the Serbian remains a huge threat to Sinner and Alcaraz, having beaten the former in the semifinal and lost to the latter in the final in Melbourne.
But the ATP is crying out for a new player to break through and really give the leading duo a scare, with men’s tennis at risk of becoming boring given the current scenario.
And Fonseca has certainly shown strong potential to be that player, although patience is required with the 19-year-old.
The teenager needs time to fully reach his potential, although he does already boast two career ATP titles.
Moreover, he fittingly followed in the footsteps of Sinner and Alcaraz by clinching the Next Gen ATP Finals title.
Recreating their heroics on the biggest stage won’t be easy, but his maiden match against the Italian will provide him with a fantastic chance to see just how close he is to the very top.
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Is it at risk of making the men's game boring?
It’s certainly a potential banana skin for Sinner, who won’t know exactly what approach Fonseca will take, with the Brazilian youngster definitely having the advantage of playing with nothing to lose.
He will likely be understandably apprehensive at first given his formidable opponent, but the teenager should come out firing regardless.
Incidentally, Fonseca has also never played against Alcaraz in his career, with a first-ever clash on the cards at Indian Wells should both players reach the final.
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