Meet the teen whose Insta followers boomed beyond half a million after stunning AO upset

Meet the teen whose Insta followers boomed beyond half a million after stunning AO upset

There is nothing like a grand slam upset to mark your arrival in the tennis world.

Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca was already earning rave reviews before the Australian Open but has a new legion of fans after dumping world No.9 Andrey Rublev out of the tournament in straight sets in the first round.

The 18-year-old qualifier’s Instagram followers almost doubled beyond half a million in the day after his 7-6 (7-1), 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) defeat of Rublev as excitement builds about one of the sport’s best prospects.

Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca takes a selfie with some of his fans.Credit: AP

Fonseca is yet to lose or even drop a set this year, winning the Canberra Challenger event before breezing through Open qualifying and then beating Rublev, a quarter-finalist at Melbourne Park last year. Those results followed the former junior world No.1 triumphing at the ATP’s Next Gen Finals.

“It’s just amazing, for me, what I did. My first win in a grand slam, my first win against a top-10 player, my first time playing in the main draw of a grand slam,” Fonseca said.

“So, everything’s new for me, but I played such a good match. I’m very happy with myself, very proud of the way that I fought, and the way that I stayed mentally [strong] on every game, every point.”

Fonseca slashed almost 600 spots off his year-end ATP ranking to finish 2024 at No.145, but is now projected to make his top-100 debut.

‘We’re going to put Joao Fonseca’s name on the list of the best players in the world really soon.’

Carlos Alcaraz on Joao Fonseca

There is belief that he could join Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in a new “big three”, after Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic dominated tennis for a combined two decades.

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Alcaraz, who is still only 21, himself, tuned into parts of Fonseca’s match and liked what he saw from the young gun.

“What can I say about it? Just incredible. I mean, the way he played his first grand slam match against his first top-10 [player] – it’s unbelievable,” Alcaraz said.

“The way he approached the match, the way he handled everything; the nerves, the match in general – it’s been fantastic … It is just the beginning of the year, just one win in [a] grand slam, but he’s going to be there. We’re going to put Joao Fonseca’s name on the list of the best players in the world really soon.”

Commentating for ESPN, Sinner’s Australian coach Darren Cahill shared the world No.1’s bold prediction for where Fonseca might be ranked by season’s end.

“I asked Jannik what ranking he thought Joao Fonseca would be in at the end of the year, and he said, ‘In the top 25,’” Cahill said.

That prediction is conservative compared to those made by six-time grand slam champion Boris Becker and Brad Gilbert, a former top-five player and coach of Andre Agassi.

Becker named Fonseca as his “dark horse” for the Australian Open title, while Gilbert tipped him to qualify for the ATP Finals, the exclusive end-of-year event for the eight best-performed men.

“Fonseca level for 18 let alone any age is simply off the charts,” Gilbert wrote on X.

“His easy power and composure [is impressive]. Right now his level is easily top 10. I said last month [he] would finish top 25. Now [I am] seeing year-end championships.”

Brazil’s last grand slam champion was Gustavo Kuerten, who won at Roland-Garros in 1997, 2000 and 2001. Kuerten and Federer are Fonseca’s idols.

“I grew up watching Roger. I think everyone wanted to play like him,” Fonseca said.

“I even tried, when I was younger, the one-handed [backhand]. I tried for, like, one week, and then I have something in my elbow, and then I forgot, I’m going to go two-handed again. Guga [Kuerten], of course … he’s not only [my] idol as a player, but as a person. He’s such a nice person.”

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