"We are preparing to be on the tour for the next 15 years" - Joao Fonseca's coach hints at long career

Guilherme Teixeira, the coach of the talented and highly touted Joao Fonseca, believes the young Brazilian will be competing at the highest level for the next 15 years in what many predict as a prosperous and successful career.

Teixeira has been Fonseca's coach since 2018. He has nursed and matured him into a phenomenal talent, a player many forecast will be challenging regularly in the future for Grand Slams and the biggest titles the sport can offer. This has been his first season on the main ATP Tour, and he has not disappointed.

While maybe not at the level to consistently compete with the giants on the circuit, he has shown that he has the minerals and ethic to succeed. His massive forehand combined with a big serve backs up an aggressive style of play, with a strong mental game aiding the 19-year-old's development. This was relayed by his coach, who described him as 'calm.'

"I have always been struck by his ability to adapt to any environment. He changes atmosphere very quickly. He knows he belongs there. Joao is a serene and calm person. Really very calm," Teixeira said.

Fonseca has already had a big impact on Brazilian tennis. Many fans from South American have flocked all over the world to watch him compete in the biggest events. The hype is very much real. Not just in Brazil, but in the whole of the tennis community.

At the end of 2024, he qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals. Being the lowest ranked player did not affect him one bit, as he went on to steamroll his opponents enroute to an eye-catching title. He made his Grand Slam debut shortly after in the Australian Open. Shortly after winning a Challenger event, he breezed through qualifying before defeating Andrey Rublev in straight sets. While he was unable to make it past Lorenzo Sonego in a tight tussle, his name was on the lips of most tennis fans.

His maiden ATP title closely followed, as he overcame the competition to win the Argentina Open. He became the youngest South American to win a tour title after defeating home-hero Francisco Cerundolo. He continued to make steady progress, staying grounded throughout. He picked up another Challenge Tour title while competing in his first Masters 1000 tournaments. Now in the top 75, there was no issue in qualifying for major events. He fought off Hubert Hurkacz and Pierre-Hugues Herbert at Roland Garros before a clinical Jack Draper saw him off. He reached the same stage at Wimbledon but was defeated by qualifier Nicolas Jarry.

After becoming the youngest player to feature at the Laver Cup, he and his team made the executive decision to skip the Asian swing to focus on the European indoor hardcourt swing. This decision would prove to be inspired as Fonseca won the biggest tournament of his career in the Swiss Indoors. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina was the victim in what was another sign of what is possibly to come from the 19-year-old. He finishes the year as the world number 24 despite starting the year as the world number 651.

His season was summed up by Teixeira. "When you look at the numbers... Going from 700th to 25th in the world, it's an almost frightening leap. Terrifying. But I told him: 'You have to last because we are preparing to be on the tour for the next 15 years'," he said.

He has ended his season after skipping the Hellenic Championship with a lower back problem and confirming that he will not return to defend his Next Gen title. All signs point to 2026.