Joao Fonseca in pursuit of more Australian Open championships | ATP Tour

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Fonseca on how the ‘overgrown Joao’ intends to do more with AO

ATP Tour icon Federer gives his assessment of the 19-year-old Brazilian

January 19, 2026

Joao Fonseca’s performance at the 2025 Australian Open represents something of a ‘turning point’ in the young Brazilian’s career.

After successfully earning his place in a major tournament for the first time, Fonseca stunned then world No. 8 Andrey Rublev in straight sets at Melbourne Park. Even though the youngster was already victorious in last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, it was the show against Rublev that made the tennis world wake up.

“That’s where it all started,” the 19-year-old Fonseca told ATPTour.com last week ahead of his return, in one year, to the Australian Open. “My confidence and everything [went up]. I’m really looking forward to AO this year. I think I play well on those courts and I like playing there.

“I think the heat is the same as where I live in Brazil. So I’m looking forward to you as a mature, experienced Joao.”

Fonseca’s performances in Melbourne have been the cause of great interest from the Brazilian, fans and media alike. As a young player with big ambitions for his future, do you ever get tired of being asked questions about the competition 12 months ago?

“I have no problem [talking about it],” said Fonseca with a smile.

A number of Fonseca’s Lexus ATP Head2Head rivals have spoken of their admiration for his talent since Melbourne’s loss to Rublev. On Friday, former PIF ATP Rankings No. 1 Roger Federer added his own thoughts on why the Brazilian is such an exciting presence on Tour.

“I think what separates him from a lot of other guys playing is his power, forehand, backhand, serve, what he can deliver,” Federer told reporters at the Australian Open. “He’s exciting. He’s got a great aura. I feel like he’s a very likable character. I love watching him play. I met him briefly at the Laver Cup. I saw him on the sidelines and behind the scenes. It was impressive to see him.”

Fonseca’s pursuit of the 2025 Grand Slam season was far from done with his run to the second round in Melbourne. He defeated Hubert Hurkacz on his way to the third round at Roland Garros, reached the same stage at Wimbledon, then took down Miomir Kecmanovic at the US Open to win at least one match in the main-draw at all four major tournaments.

“Definitely [the Australian Open] it helped me,” said Fonseca, “It gave me confidence throughout the year. I say it all started [in Melbourne]because I got the experience of playing five sets for the first time and playing in the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time. So it gave me confidence to be ready for the next competitions.”

Fonseca finished 2025 with a record of 26-16, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, a figure that includes his first tour-level title in Buenos Aires and Basel. After a while, he spent the off-season working on his game with coaches Guilherme Teixeira and Franco Davin in Rio de Janiero and Miami. Now that he has experienced the rigors of a full calendar year on the ATP Tour, Fonseca admitted it felt like a pre-season with a twist.

“It was different. “We focused a lot on nutrition and recovery every day. Every week there was something different, so it was a perfect preseason.

“We are very focused on volleys, serves, returns… especially everything. [a big part of modern] tennis today. People develop those things a lot, so we worked a lot on that.”

103-time tour-level champion Federer says he can see aspects of his journey in Fonseca’s progress so far.

“I think he’s like me in the sense that he needs more time to work on his game.” Swiss said. “It’s like Jannik [Sinner]and, knowing when to hit and when to load his gun. Once he realizes that, it’s clear that the sky is the limit. I think he’s one of those guys who can compete for big wins.”

Fonseca will compete in Melbourne this year as the 28th seed. His first round clash with Eliot Spizzirri will be his season opener, after he was forced to withdraw from Brisbane and Adelaide due to a back injury. Despite that disappointing start to the year, the number 32 in the PIF ATP Rankings remains focused on his goals for 2026.

“I think there are goals for my team, but in general it is to continue to improve and improve,” he said. “Throughout the year, making consistent results, and continuing to gain experience, not only in tournaments but also with other players. Seeing what other players are doing well and what other players are doing wrong and trying to find my way and where I want to live. I think that’s one of the goals for this year.”