Joao Fonseca (No. 113) will meet Andrey Rublev (No. 9) in the Round of 128 at the Australian Open on Saturday, January 11.Rublev’s last match was a win, 6-4, 7-5, over Alejandro Davidovich
Australian Open is showcasing a crop of young men's players who are better equipped for the changes in tennis than their elders.
Australian Open, Andrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev
At just 18, João Fonseca is putting the tennis world on notice, as illustrated by his clinical straight-sets victory over ninth seed Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open.
We wrap up the first round of the Australian Open on Day 3, with 20 men’s matches on the schedule. As always, our writers here at LastWordOnTennis share their thoughts on every single match with you.
Fonseca was part of the 2024 lineup alongside Fils and Luca Van Assche of France; Michelsen, eventual finalist Learner Tien and Nishesh Basavareddy of the U.S.; Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic and Shang Juncheng of China, who also goes by his Americanized name, Jerry Shang.
Players are represented by characters that look like something out of a Wii game — not exactly perfect portrayals of Coco Gauff or Novak Djokovic, perhaps, but they try to show the correct outfits.
In his first-ever Grand Slam match, Fonseca defeated World No. 9 Andrey Rublev in straight sets: 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (5). The match was evenly contested, but Fonseca was dominant with his power and agility.
The Brazilian teenager has long been touted as the next big thing in tennis and he proved his supporters right by winning the Next Gen ATP Finals in December - a tournament for top players under the age of 21, which has previously been won by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
João Fonseca has definitively introduced himself to the world as the latest teen sensation in men’s tennis by upsetting No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the first round of the Australian Open.
Joao Fonseca, Alex Michelsen, Learner Tien and Arthur Fils are four names to remember, following delightful displays during the opening week of the Australian Open.
We may look back at the 2024 ATP NextGen finals in the years to come, and ask how so much talent could be squeezed into such a small tournament.