“Before I was the underdog, now I’m top-25 and most of the players know me”: Joao Fonseca eyes consistent deep runs in 2026

Joao Fonseca is preparing to start the season after suffering a couple of physical setbacks in the opening weeks. The 19-year-old Brazilian withdrew from the Brisbane International and Adelaide International in early January but hopes to be ready for his return at the Australian Open.

The teenager made his mark on the tennis world in Melbourne a year ago, when he notched his first top-10 victory over Andrey Rublev. Fonseca was just 18 years old and making his Grand Slam main draw debut, ranked world No. 112 at the time. “I played unbelievable tennis,” he recalled in a recent interview with The Observer. “I was the underdog, so I was playing with no pressure; he had all the pressure.”

The South American claimed the win in straight sets, 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-6(5), and advanced to the second round, where he was eliminated in five sets by Lorenzo Sonego. From there, Fonseca enjoyed a spectacular year: he won two titles—the Argentina Open and Swiss Indoors—and reached third rounds in all Grand Slams, including Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

“I’m very, very happy with myself, starting the year ranked 140 in the world and finishing top 25, winning two great titles, one on clay, one indoors,” Fonseca reflected on his 2025 season. “It was just amazing for me, a lot of great victories as well, doing some great weeks. Very happy with the way I played and the level I showed. I hope I can continue with this rhythm.”

The Brazilian faces a new season with the responsibility of defending a significant number of points throughout the year, no longer an unknown but a player to be feared on the Tour. “It’s a lot different,” Fonseca said. “Now I’m top 25 in the world and most of the players know me.”

“Never in my career have I played a year where I needed to defend points. I was always progressing and just playing against people ranked lower than me. I was just the underdog every time, the younger one, gaining experience and playing my best.”

For the young star, this season is about consolidation and maintaining consistency. “The biggest challenge for me in 2026 is to handle this pressure of defending my points and playing a little bit more with the pressure on me,” the current world No. 29 said, after losing a few ranking positions following a couple of weeks away from competition. “It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be a new experience for me. But I’m playing well, I’m confident, so we go for it and just try to be happy on court and play my best.”

Regarding his expectations, Fonseca hesitates to set a final ranking goal, though he aims to get closer to the top 10 and continue consolidating his game to compete with the best—especially to challenge the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

“A personal goal for me is to do great weeks consistently… not up and down, like doing semis and losing second round,” the 19-year-old said. “That consistency is what brings me to the top level. I hope I can get close to the top 10, maybe get into it and do great runs in the slams.” “Those guys, Jannik and Carlos, they’re winning everything now. Hopefully in the future, I can play against them and maybe play finals against them. It’s going to be fun.”

Fonseca enters the Australian Open as the 24th seed, marking the first time he will be seeded in a Grand Slam main draw—also as the youngest of the 32 players in a privileged position. The Brazilian will learn his first-round opponent in Thursday’s draw, with a guarantee to avoid top-35 players for at least the first two rounds.