"Now there are a lot of people talking about me" - Rising ATP star Joao Fonseca reflects on newly found fame

Saturday, 26 April 2025 at 01:30

Brazilian tennis prodigy Joao Fonseca announced his arrival on the ATP tour this season, and the youngster has had to make adjustments as he deals with being thrust into the spotlight.

The 18-year old defeated World No.9 Andrey Rublev in the opening round of the 2025 Australian Open, before winning his maiden ATP level title at Argentina Open a few weeks later. Fonseca has since seen his ranking rise to as high as World No.59, and is currently through to the second round of the Madrid Open, where he will face 11th-seeded American Tommy Paul.

Taking a break helped him recalibrate his mindset

The young Brazilian took a break from competitive tennis for nearly a month after reaching the third round at the Miami Open in March. During this time period, he returned to Rio where he practiced and tried to recharge after playing several events so early in the season.

We felt that it was time to take a pause and reflect about everything that happened," said Fonseca. "A lot has changed. I needed time to rest my mind. It was an important break. Now there are a lot of people talking about me...in the media, the Internet. A lot changed since the Next Gen and the Australian Open. I became more well known around the world.
"I have to stay grounded and keep working hard to achieve more in tennis. I have to keep focused on my things and not on the expectations from other people.
"Thankfully I have a great foundation, with relatives, friends and coaches who have been helping me keep my feet on the ground and stay humble to keep on working."

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Arthur Ajayi

Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.

As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.

With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.

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