Brazilian player João Fonseca has been confirmed to participate in the ATP 250 tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which begins on February 10. The announcement was made Monday evening.
Fonseca will make his debut in this tournament after receiving a special exemption as part of a new initiative to promote young NextGen players ranked in the world’s top 250. Currently ranked 112th, the Brazilian is on a remarkable trajectory, having recorded 13 consecutive victories, including the title at the NextGen Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as well as a victory at Challenger 125 in Canberra, Australia.
This Argentine tournament is one of the oldest and most prestigious on the continent and will mark the start of the ATP South American clay court circuit, which has been reduced to just three events this year. After Buenos Aires, the young talent will head to the Rio Open, where he aspires to defend his place in last year’s quarterfinals. He is also expected to compete at the Santiago ATP 250 in Chile, where he received an invitation last year, although details of his participation remain unconfirmed.
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The 18-year-old from Rio de Janeiro is set to make his Australian Open debut on Tuesday against world No. 9 player Andrey Rublev, making him the youngest Brazilian to appear in the main draw of a Grand Slam since the Open era. If he doesn’t progress far in Australia, Fonseca plans to take on the Challenger 125 in Quimper, France, next week, then represent Brazil in the Davis Cup in Orléans, France, the weekend of the 1st to February 2.
The official squad list for Buenos Aires is expected to be released on Tuesday and will feature stars such as Alexander Zverev and Holger Rune.
