Joao Fonseca has been widely tipped to be tennis’ next ATP star.
The Brazilian youngster has become a household name – he is viewed as one of the brightest young talents on the Tour and a possible challenger to the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
His 2025 season has failed to dampen those expectations. The 19-year-old has won two Tour events – in Buenos Aires and Basel – and risen to world number 24.
If you were in charge of tennis, what is the first rule you would change?
With the talent he possesses, it seems inevitable that Fonseca will rise to the top of the ATP tree in the near future.
Will he do so in 2026? Former British number one Greg Rusedski is not so sure.
Greg Rusedski says Joao Fonseca will need to develop for two years before challenging for the biggest titles
Greg Rusedski, the 1997 US Open Men’s Singles finalist, has weighed in on the development of Fonseca this year.
Rusedski, the former British number one, is not convinced that Fonseca has the same potential as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
“Fonseca to me, I am not seeing it yet,” he said on the ‘Off Court with Greg‘ podcast.
“He played great in Australia at the beginning of the year and beat Rublev and it was like wow, who is this kid? But people have figured him out. They have figured out how to break him down now.”
Fonseca burst onto the ATP Tour scene in January, stunning ninth seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets. The Brazilian subsequently lost to Lorenzo Sonego in five sets.
Rusedski continued: “He is still young and there is time but he is still too green, as I like to call it. There is still a long developmental period of at least two years before we see what he is made of.
“He is not like when I saw Carlos as a 15 year old, or I saw Jannik. Everybody is talking about him. But remember Zverev, everyone was saying he is the next heir. But lo and behold, the big three go and then Carlos and Sinner show up.”
What should Joao Fonseca’s 2026 Grand Slam goal be?
The Brazilian star’s best Grand Slam performances have occurred at the French Open and Wimbledon. This year, he reached the third round at both events.
In 2026, Fonseca should be aiming much, much higher.
The 19-year-old’s talent is far greater than his Grand Slam results would suggest, which can be attributed to his youth and inexperience.
What is your bold prediction for the 2026 tennis season?
Realistically, the Brazilian has the ability to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final in 2026. An aspirational target would be a semi-final appearance.
