“I said that he was going to beat Rublev”: Coco Gauff shares admiration for Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca

Coco Gauff declared herself a fan of Joao Fonseca and acknowledged that she has been following the Brazilian's career since she first encountered him at the 2023 US Open. That year, Gauff became the women's champion at 19, while Fonseca claimed the junior boys' title at 16.

The American, like Fonseca, knows what it means to make giant strides on the Tour at a young age. Gauff's first major breakthrough came in 2019 when, at just 15 years old, she advanced through Wimbledon qualifying and defeated five-time champion Venus Williams in the first round, making it to the Round of 16 before falling to eventual champion Simona Halep.

Gauff discusses Fonseca’s career

On Wednesday, Gauff faced Jodie Burrage in the second round and won 6-3, 7-5, securing her place in the third round. During the press conference, Gauff was asked if she was following the men's draw, particularly rising star Joao Fonseca, who caught attention by eliminating world No. 9 Andrey Rublev in the first round.

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“Pretty funny. We were just talking about him upstairs,” Gauff said. “I first knew of Fonseca two years ago when I won the US Open. He won Junior US Open. I took a picture of him. That's when I thought, ‘Who is this kid?’ He won Junior US Open at 16. Has to be good. So I started following his career from there, his challengers, obviously still leading up to that, and then Next Gen.”

“I've been on the Fonseca train since early,” the world No. 3 added. “I wasn't surprised by the result. I didn't watch it because I think it was later, like, in the evening. I wasn't surprised. I kind of called it. I said he was going to beat Rublev. I didn’t think it would be straight sets. I thought it would go to four.”

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“I don't know him personally. I've just been a fan of him for at least a year and a half, two years. It's great to see him performing well on the biggest stage. Hopefully, he'll stay in his lane, not listen to the hype, and enjoy it. He seems like a great personality too.”

Gauff will return to the court on Friday for the third round against 30th seed Leylah Fernandez, whom she defeated at the United Cup a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, Fonseca plays Lorenzo Sonego on Thursday, seeking his second victory in a major draw.

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