LONDON – Carlos Alcaraz and Joao Fonseca trained together this Saturday at Wimbledon, and the two-time champion of the tournament already sees the Brazilian as his protégé.
“He already knows that if he has any doubts or anything he wants to ask me, I’m open. I’m here for whatever he needs,” Alcaraz told Spanish-speaking media during his pre-tournament press conference.
“I really wanted to play with Fonseca, to train with him since he broke through on the tour. He’s an incredible person, a really good kid. He’s already shown he’s a great player,” added the Spaniard.
It was on Court 1 of the Aorangi complex — the practice courts at the All England Club where players are allowed to break the all-white dress code — that the two young talents trained together.
Carlos Alcaraz está entrenando con Joao Fonseca. pic.twitter.com/zhlLiGEMp7
— Manuel Sánchez (@ManuSanchezGom) June 28, 2025
“I want to be like Alcaraz and Sinner,” the young Brazilian told CLAY a year ago in an interview during Wimbledon 2024 qualifying, which he failed to get through at the time.
Fonseca arrived in London in 2025 with a high enough ranking to enter the main draw directly. While his form on grass so far has been pretty solid — two losses in three matches, including a tight battle against world No. 5 Taylor Fritz — it remains the surface where he has the most room to grow.
Alcaraz analysed Fonseca ‘s game: “He’s not really experienced on grass. But his style — he loves to play aggressively, hit big forehands and come to the net — makes me pretty sure he’ll find his level on this surface really, really soon.”
The Spaniard has already begun mentoring younger players — players who want to feed off the wealth of experience he’s gained at just 22 years old.
“Obviously, I like hearing that people want to follow in my footsteps, that they want to emulate what I’ve achieved and the way I’ve done it. I think that’s beautiful.”
Alcaraz is now chasing a place among tennis legends Björn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic. He could become just the fifth man to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles in the Open Era.
As tradition dictates, the defending champion will open play on Centre Court this Monday. Alcaraz will begin his title defence against Italy’s Fabio Fognini.
Joao Fonseca, meanwhile, will make his debut at the most traditional tournament in the world. His first-round opponent will be Britain’s Jacob Fearnley.
