Joao Fonseca was looking to score the first Grand Slam main draw win of his career at the Australian Open.
Having advanced through three rounds of qualifying, fans were eagerly anticipating Fonseca’s Grand Slam debut.
Fonseca received praise from Nick Kyrgios among other ATP stars ahead of the Australian Open, as the tennis world prepared to see the young Brazilian perform on the big stage for the first time.
Fonseca won the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals and was given a blockbuster first-round matchup in Melbourne as he was drawn to face ninth seed Andrey Rublev.
Remarkably, the 18-year-old qualifier took out Rublev in straight sets as he secured his first win at a Major tournament.
Fonseca’s 7-6, 6-3, 7-6 victory didn’t go unnoticed, and tennis fans across the globe have joined in as they predict big things for the Brazilian youngster.
Tennis fans tip Joao Fonseca to form ‘big three’ with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
A world-class performance from Fonseca at the Australian Open saw hundreds of fans storm to social media to give their thoughts on the hottest prospect in tennis.
“The future of tennis,” said one fan.
“The star is born.
“Joao Fonseca – the last member of the new big three alongside [Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz.”
Another fan was in agreement, suggesting that the trio could replicate the dominance of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic.
“[Joao] Fonseca, Sinner Alcaraz,” they said.
“Give it a few years and they’re the new Rafa [Nadal], Fed, Djok.”
One more fan agreed, as they believe Fonseca has what it takes to keep up with Sinner and Alcaraz.
“The big three may be completed quite fast, Sinner, Alcaraz, and Fonseca,” they said.
Another fan went a step further, suggesting that Fonseca takes the best from both the Spaniard and the Italian.
“He’s a player that the tour will be built around in the future,” they said.
“If Sinner and Alcaraz had to combine to create a player it’s Joao Fonseca.
“This kid is scary good already, I fear for the rest of the tour in the future.”
Plenty of other fans were full of praise for the Brazilian, with some suggesting that he could be in line to win a Grand Slam title in the not too distant future.
“Could be recency bias but just with this match/eye test I can already say Fonseca will win slams,” one fan predicted.
“It’s giving Alcaraz against [Stefanos] Tsitsipas at USO21 [2021 US Open].”
“18 year old Joao Fonseca will win a Grand Slam in the next 18 months, perhaps even sooner,” said another fan.
“It is fate, he will be the ultimate nemesis to completely disrupt and dismantle the Alcaraz and Sinner rivalry.”
“Fonseca is just another Carlos Alcaraz in the making ain’t he?” suggested another.
“The game he’s playing is scary.”
Coco Gauff’s former coach Brad Gilbert also chimed in, praising the Brazilian for how he handled the last few points of his win over Rublev.
“What a phenomenal last two points from Fonseca to take out Rubles [Rublev],” he said.
Another ex-coach Mark Petchey, who worked with Andy Murray during his younger years was very excited after watching Fonseca make his Slam debut.
“Joao Fonseca – is one of the most exciting talents to hit the courts,” he said.
“Thanks to the big four for inspiring this generation of players.
“Tennis is [in] an unbelievable position.
“Wow from Joao.”
Joao Fonseca hits the fastest forehand of the tournament during his win over Andrey Rublev
The world of tennis has erupted with the debut of Fonseca, but it doesn’t feel like fans are getting ahead of themselves, as there are plenty of stats to back the hype up.
During his monumental win over Rublev, the Brazilian hit a 181 km/h forehand, the fastest of anyone during the tournament so far.
The stat is one of many that Fonseca has added to his name with his three-set win over the Russian, as he begins to match the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz in several other areas.
Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Joao Fonseca’s age at first Grand Slam win
- Carlos Alcaraz – 17 years, 278 days
- Joao Fonseca – 18 years, 146 days
- Jannik Sinner – 18 years, 156 days
The 18-year-old is currently on a similar pace to that of Sinner and Alcaraz, who have both gone on to win Grand Slam titles and reach world number one.
Fonseca will continue his Australian Open journey against Lorenzo Sonego on January 16.
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