Fonseca has long looked like a star-in-waiting. Under pressure in his first Grand Slam set, he delivered beyond those lofty expectations

Joao Fonseca delivered what he described as a 'rude' response to Novak Djokovic 's comments after becoming the breakthrough star of the Australian Open. Fonseca delivered a sensational display to stun Andrey Rublev in straight sets, beating the world No. 9 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the opening round on Tuesday.

Brazil have known about Fonseca’s talent known for some time, making his ATP Tour debut at his home tournament in Rio as a 16-year-old wildcard. Fonseca also got the chance to be a hitting partner for Alcaraz and Sinner ahead of the ATP Finals in Turin after winning the US Open junior title in 2023.

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.

By Shrivathsa Sridhar MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Endless queues outside Melbourne Park's 1573 Arena on a sunny Thursday afternoon gave casual fans the impression that a Grand Slam champion was in action, but a quick peek inside revealed the carnival atmosphere and explained the interest.

The tennis community raised their eyebrows after watching 18-year-old Brazilian star Joao Fonseca in his first Australian Open. The younger qualifier upset Andrey Rublev, the ninth-ranked player globally,

It is the teenager’s time to shine at the Australian Open. Two of the youngest players in the men’s singles draw have made some of the biggest headlines, with Joao Fonseca and Jakub Mensik starring in Melbourne.