Joao Fonseca lost to Jannik Sinner, 6-7, 6-7, in the fourth round of Indian Wells.
Pushing the world number two close, Fonseca reminded fans why he is such a highly-rated prospect.
Since his breakthrough last January, many have named Fonseca as the most likely player to challenge Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s duopoly in men’s tennis.
Which member of the ‘Big Three’ is Carlos Alcaraz most similar to? Let us know why below👇
However, during his latest post-match press conference, Alcaraz said he isn’t worried about Fonseca’s rise.
‘Why would I be worried?’ – Carlos Alcaraz on Joao Fonseca
Alcaraz was asked the following question after his fourth-round win over Casper Ruud.
- “Yesterday, Jannik [Sinner] played a very tough match against Joao [Fonseca]. He said it would be harder and harder for him if he keeps coming like that. He said it’s good for the sport, I’m happy with this. Do you agree with him, or maybe do you feel a little bit worried of these really, really good new players coming up?“
The Spaniard insisted that he isn’t worried.
“No, no,” said Alcaraz.
“Why would I be worried?”
Alcaraz then shared his thoughts on Fonseca’s defeat to Sinner.
“Yeah, I saw a little bit,” he said.
“I couldn’t see the full match, but I saw that Joao is playing great tennis.
Joao Fonseca vs Jannik Sinner – Match stats
| Stats | Joao Fonseca | Jannik Sinner |
| Aces | 9 | 15 |
| Double faults | 3 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 70% | 59% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 74% | 86% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 67% | 53% |
| Break points | 1/2 | 1/4 |
| Total points won | 77 | 79 |
“Obviously, when someone is going toe to toe with Jannik 7-6, 7-6, that means he had to play great tennis and perform really, really well.”
Alcaraz enjoys seeing the Brazilian succeed, and expects to see more of him in the future.
“So really happy to see Joao, you know, growing up and see him, you know, playing these kinds of matches, this kind of level,” he said.
“I’m, you know, a player and a person who loves seeing the player growing.
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“As a person, as a player, he’s really young, and for sure he’s going to learn from this experience.
“But, yeah, just really happy to see where Joao is right now, and for sure, we’re going to see more of Joao in the future.”
Fonseca and Alcaraz have yet to meet on the ATP Tour, but they did play an exhibition match last December.
Battling it out in Miami, Alcaraz defeated Fonseca in a match tiebreak, 7-5, 2-6, 10-8.
Perhaps they will face off, for real, at the Miami Open later this month.
Alcaraz won’t want to concern himself with a trip to Florida just yet, though, as he first focuses on the Indian Wells quarterfinals.
Who will Carlos Alcaraz play next in Indian Wells?
Next up for Alcaraz is British number two, Cameron Norrie.
2026 Indian Wells men’s singles quarterfinals
- [1] Carlos Alcaraz vs [27] Cameron Norrie
- [14] Jack Draper vs [11] Daniil Medvedev
- [30] Arthur Fils vs [4] Alexander Zverev
- [25] Learner Tien vs [2] Jannik Sinner
Alcaraz has struggled against Norrie in the past, losing to him recently at the Paris Masters.
Carlos Alcaraz and Cameron Norrie’s head-to-head record
| Match | Winner | Loser | Score |
| 2025 Paris Masters – 2R | Cameron Norrie | Carlos Alcaraz | 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2025 Wimbledon – QF | Carlos Alcaraz | Cameron Norrie | 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 |
| 2023 Rio Open – F | Cameron Norrie | Carlos Alcaraz | 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 |
| 2023 Argentina Open – F | Carlos Alcaraz | Cameron Norrie | 6-3, 7-5 |
| 2022 Cincinnati Open – QF | Cameron Norrie | Carlos Alcaraz | 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 |
| 2022 Madrid Open – 3R | Carlos Alcaraz | Cameron Norrie | 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 |
| 2022 Indian Wells – QF | Carlos Alcaraz | Cameron Norrie | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 2021 US Open – 1R | Carlos Alcaraz | Cameron Norrie | 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 |
Norrie and Alcaraz are 3-3 in their last six matches, as the Briton continues to cause problems for the world number one.
Alcaraz did, however, win their one previous meeting in California, defeating Norrie 6-4, 6-3, in the 2022 quarterfinals.
If he can repeat the feat in 2026, he’d advance to take on either Jack Draper or Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals.
He has history with both players at Indian Wells.
Draper defeated Alcaraz in last year’s semifinals en route to the title, while Alcaraz beat Medvedev in back-to-back finals (2023 and 2024).
It remains to be seen how far Alcaraz will go this year, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
Alcaraz will play Norrie in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 12.
