In his first-ever Grand Slam match, Fonseca defeated World No. 9 Andrey Rublev in straight sets: 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (5). The match was evenly contested, but Fonseca was dominant with his power and agility.

At just 18, João Fonseca is putting the tennis world on notice, as illustrated by his clinical straight-sets victory over ninth seed Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open.

Brazil have known about Fonseca’s talent known for some time, making his ATP Tour debut at his home tournament in Rio as a 16-year-old wildcard. Fonseca also got the chance to be a hitting partner for Alcaraz and Sinner ahead of the ATP Finals in Turin after winning the US Open junior title in 2023.