Joao Fonseca may have endured a tough start to the new season, but Andre Agassi clearly still believes in him.
In fact, the 55-year-old could not have been more complimentary when asked about this 19-year-old superstar, who really made his mark on the ATP Tour last year with a string of sensational wins and titles.
Reaching a career-high ranking of 24th, many were tipping Joao Fonseca to kick on in 2026 and build upon the fine foundation set to start truly challenging the sport’s elite players.
Alas, his form has taken a sharp downturn, sadly hampered by a lack of fitness and confidence.
Joao Fonseca will be the man to unsettle Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s duopoly over men’s tennis – Prove us wrong!
Agassi’s words should hopefully inspire the latter to return.
Andre Agassi admits he was stunned by Joao Fonseca after training with him
In an interview with Veja magazine, the American tennis legend was effusive in his praise for Fonseca when asked to discuss his future.
Agassi began by sharing a story of their time together at last year’s Laver Cup, admitting: “I absolutely ADORE João! I couldn’t be more impressed with him on and off the court. He has a powerful arsenal and stays committed to his aggressive game, no matter the score or the situation—a trait that will serve him well as he climbs the rankings and progresses in bigger tournaments.
Do you believe Carlos Alcaraz is already the greatest tennis player of all time?
“More than that, I was struck by his maturity and professionalism off the court. He was like a sponge, soaking it all up. Obviously, he has some very good people around him.”
Then, asked whether he saw Fonseca as a future Grand Slam champion, he was coy in his answer: “I try to avoid making predictions. There are so many factors involved in winning seven best-of-five-set matches over two weeks. But he seems to have all the ingredients. I believe he can be a great champion, and I’m looking forward to following his progress.”
Joao Fonseca’s worrying form in 2026
Whilst Fonseca may be glad to see such a vote of confidence from Agassi, it does not detract from what has been an underwhelming start to the 2026 season for the Brazilian.
After all, many tipped this to be the year when he finally broke into the upper echelons of the ATP Tour and established himself as the man to challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
The early signs suggest he is arguably farther from that goal than he was six months ago.
Injuries have not helped him in that regard, with Fonseca well beaten in the first round of the Australian Open and Buenos Aires Open over the last few weeks.
And, despite claiming his first win of the year in Rio, a subsequent loss to Ignacio Buse hindered any progress.
It’s clear that Fonseca needs to sort out his injury problems, by any means possible. He is clearly being impacted by something; the teenager swiftly needs to figure that out if he is to realise his monumental potential.
