
João Fonseca, the 18-year-old Brazilian tennis prodigy, made headlines with an extraordinary upset, defeating ninth seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets, 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-6(5), during his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open.
The match, held at Margaret Court Arena, showcased Fonseca’s poise and skill as he became only the second teenager to defeat a top-10 player in his debut Grand Slam, following Mario Ancic’s 2002 Wimbledon triumph over Roger Federer. Riding a 14-match winning streak, Fonseca entered the tournament in strong form, having won the Next Gen ATP Finals and an ATP Challenger title earlier in the month.
Carlos Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion, was among the many admirers of Fonseca’s performance. Alcaraz praised the teenager’s composure and fearless approach, stating, “How he approached the contest, handled the nerves, and played against a top-10 opponent was incredible. João will soon be on the list of the best players in the world.”
Fonseca now faces Italian Lorenzo Sonego in the second round. If the Brazilian can maintain his momentum, his burgeoning reputation as a rising star in tennis will be further cemented.
Fonseca at the Australian Open, ranking, and results in 2025


Ranked world no.112 (career-high), Fonseca has managed to achieve a composed 9-0 record in 2025. Fonseca is competing at the Australian Open where he beat the world no.134 Federico Agustin Gomez 6-4 6-0, the world no.171 Chak Lam Coleman Wong 6-0 6-3, the world no.116 Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-4 6-1 and the world no.9 Andrey Rublev 7-6(1) 6-3 7-6(5).
Joao Fonseca will square off with the world no.55 Lorenzo Sonego in the 2nd round on Thursday at 6:00 pm on 1573 Arena. Their record is 1-0 for Fonseca.
Fonseca conquered 1 title in 2025 in the Canberra Challenger.
Alcaraz at the Australian Open, ranking, and results in 2025
Ranked world no.3, Carlos has a 2-0 record in 2025. Carlos is currently playing at the Australian Open where he overcame the world no.77 Alexander Shevchenko 6-1 7-5 6-1 and the world no.65 Yoshihito Nishioka 6-0 6-1 6-4.
Carlos Alcaraz will come up against the world no.370 Gabi Adrian Boitan in the . They have never played each other till now in top tournaments.
Carlos won 17 titles in his career: 5 on hard courts, 8 on clay courts, 1 on indoor courts and 3 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
He is also scheduled to play in Rotterdam (ABN AMRO Open). The main draw will start on the 3rd of February.
Joao Fonseca and Carlos Alcaraz have never faced off.
Joao Fonseca and Carlos Alcaraz |
Embed from Getty Images |