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Fonseca is already a star: ‘How much would it cost to buy your talent?

Joao Fonseca junto a Rafael Nadal tras ganar el NextGen en Jeddah 2024 / ATP
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MELBOURNE – On the night the tennis world recognised him as the sport’s newest star, Joao Fonseca was speechless.

‘If I were to travel to Brazil and I wanted to buy your talent, how much money would I need?’ asked German Andrea Petkovic, a former tennis player and these days a keen interviewer on Australia’s Channel 9.

‘It’s a bit unfair,’ Fonseca said, smiling and after a brief silence.

‘As Roger (Federer) said, talent is not enough for hard work, so I’ve worked very hard, me and my team know that.’

‘Aquí é Brasil, vamoooo,’ (here is Brazil, come on!) shouted at the end of the interview the 18-year-old Brazilian, who on the night of 14 January 2025 was experiencing something very similar to what happened to great tennis players.

Federer’s explosive appearance on a big stage was at Wimbledon 2001, Rafael Nadal’s at Miami 2004, Carlos Alcaraz’s at the US Open 2022. And Fonseca’s, as the overachieving Andrey Rublev knows all too well, at the 2025 Australian Open.

‘I want to be like Sinner and Alcaraz, I want to win Grand Slams,’ Fonseca said in a recent interview with CLAY.

Joao Fonseca Alcaraz
Joao Fonseca and Carlos Alcaraz after a tennis practice.

A 7-6 (7-1), 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) win over top-ten Russian Andrey Rublev on an electrifying summer night at Margaret Court Arena proved Fonseca’s ambitions right. Opposite, a Rublev who had just confessed his worst demons was beaten mercilessly.

When a new star emerges, there is always something new, something that astonishes. In Fonseca’s case it is his dry, ferocious forehand that makes an impact, but also his determination and ambition to win every point. After those years of Gustavo ‘Guga’ Kuerten, three-time Roland Garros champion a quarter of a century ago, Brazil and South American tennis have a new and powerful figure.

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‘I’m going to call him ‘Joseca’,’ said the always witty Brad Gilbert on social media.

Those social networks were buzzing during and after the match, with comments of all kinds and eye-catching facts: at 181 kilometres per hour, Fonseca is the author of the most powerful forehand of the tournament so far. All this in his first match in a Grand Slam tournament, his first match against a top ten player and his first match in a big stadium.

Such was the Brazilian’s impact, that minutes after his victory, bookmakers ranked him as the eighth favourite to win the US Open in September. And it is worth remembering: Fonseca, recent winner of the NextGen, is 18 years old and arrived in Australia as 112th in the world ranking.

Those figures don’t matter, the Brazilian is ready for big things, very big things. It was summed up on Wednesday morning by former Slovakian tennis player Daniela Hantuchova in an appearance on Australian television: ‘Oh, Gosh, we have a new star!’

Or, as Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz said hours later: “We are going to put the Joao Fonseca name on the list of the best players in the world really soon.”

 

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