
Joao Fonseca was perhaps the one player that the seeds didn't want to get at the 2025 Australian OPen as his remarkable rise in the sport continues with his fabulous forehand on full evidence as he downed Andrey Rublev 7-6, 6-3, 7-6 on Tuesday afternoon.
Fonseca claimed the win in just over two hours as he sealed a far from easy straight sets win but Rublev becomes the biggest named seed to tumble thus far against the World No.112 who came through qualifying at the Australian Open.
This means in essence that Fonseca has games under his belt at the Australian Open and he is one of the players anchoring the new generation but it is more major disappointment for Rublev as he was well beaten at times by the young Brazilian.
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That close nature was evident from the start as only one break point was brought up during the opening set. But despite that Fonseca brought his A game to the opening tie-break wiping the floor with Rublev to earn a one set lead.
He finally broke during the second set and saved break point chances himself to go 4-1 up, he easily closed out the set from there 6-3 to get one away. The third set saw him go 3-1 up but he was pegged back as Rublev immediately broke for 3-2 and claimed parity from there.
It was level from there until the end of the contest as again it went to a tie-break. Again Fonseca breezed into the lead but with the finishing line in sight he managed to fluff his lines ever so slightly and allow Rublev back in before narrowly sealing the win. He went from 4-1 up and 5-3 up to claiming it narrowly 7-5. Who is next now that draw section has opened up? Lorenzo Sonego with likely Frances Tiafoe being the seed in the third round. The excellent rise continues for Fonseca.
João Fonseca just hit the fastest forehand of the tournament at the Australian Open.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 14, 2025
181 km/h.
At 18 years old, this is actually terrifying. 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/KR5ZqUTGcx

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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