João Fonseca, 18 years old, surprised the world by defeating Russian Andrey Rublev, current number 9 in the ATP rankings.
Photo: Esporte News Mundo
In a memorable debut at the Australian Open 2025, young Brazilian tennis player João Fonseca, aged 18, surprised the world by defeating Russian Andrey Rublev, current number 9 in the ATP rankings, with scores of 7/6(1), 6/3 and 7/6(5).
Fonseca, who was on an impressive 13-game winning streak, including titles at the Next Gen ATP Finals and the Canberra Challenger, demonstrated maturity and confidence when facing one of the tour’s top names.
The first set was marked by balanced games, without service breaks, taking the decision to a tiebreak. At this stage, Fonseca showed superiority, closing at 7/6(1). In the second set, the Brazilian achieved a crucial break, winning 6/3. In the third set, despite Rublev showing a reaction, Fonseca remained calm and sealed the victory in the tiebreak by 7/6 (5).
With this victory, Fonseca advances to the second round, where he will face the Italian Lorenzo Sonego, an opponent he previously defeated in Bucharest, in 2024. The match is scheduled to take place between Wednesday (15) and Thursday (16), in Brasília time.
Swiss
