"It doesn’t sound bad": Joao Fonseca pleased with $500,000 prize after winning Next Gen ATP Finals title

18-year-old star Joao Fonseca claimed the title at the Next Gen ATP Finals this Sunday after defeating Learner Tien 2-4, 4-3(8), 4-0, 4-2. The tournament's 8th seed was a surprise, finishing with an undefeated record and notable wins, including victories over world No. 48 Jakub Mensik and world No. 20 Arthur Fils.

The Brazilian seems ready to take a leap in his career towards the ATP Tour after a year primarily spent competing in Challenger events. The world No. 145 showed his skills against top-level opponents and joins former champions like Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz.

From a young age, Fonseca has attracted sponsors who see him as one of the big projects for the future of tennis. He already has sponsorships from Rolex – just like Roger Federer – and ON, where Federer is one of the shareholders and which also sponsors Iga Swiatek and Ben Shelton.

Nevertheless, the prize earned at the Next Gen ATP Finals is quite significant, adding $500,000 to his bank account. Since his first appearance in a professional tournament back in 2021, he had accumulated $290,000 in prize money, with his top results including winning the Lexington Challenger and finishing as a finalist at the Asuncion Challenger, both this season.

During the awards ceremony at the Next Gen ATP Finals, Fonseca was asked for his opinion on the large prize he received for winning the trophy, much higher than any prize he had earned in his career. "Well, I can just say it doesn’t sound bad," Fonseca commented with a laugh. "I’m young. Thankfully my parents are helping me win this kind of money… it’s huge. Thanks a lot."

The Brazilian displayed impressive form in recent days and came into the final as the favourite, especially considering he had beaten his opponent Tien convincingly in the Round Robin. However, he acknowledged that he saw his opponent with caution. "I was really nervous before the match. I knew it would be so difficult. I’ve already played a final against Learner in juniors and I know the way he can play. He’s such a nice guy and such a great player. I knew it’d be difficult mentally and physically."

"But I found a way through. Honestly, I don’t know how I did it in the 2nd set. I was just trying to hold my serve. I wasn’t playing my best in the beginning. I was too nervous. But after I won the 2nd set, I was a different João. I was more aggressive and going for my shots. I think he got a bit more tight. It’s part of the game. In the 4th set, I just did my best and I got the win,” he concluded.