Joao Fonseca’s 2026 season has finally blossomed after a difficult start to the year.
Fonseca, who is adored by Andre Agassi, had struggled for singles consistency at the start of this season, suffering early exits in Melbourne, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.
However, Fonseca’s season’s sparked into life on Saturday evening, as he saved two match points before beating Khachanov 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 in Indian Wells.
The Brazilian will face 23rd seed Tommy Paul in the third round, before a potential meeting with Jannik Sinner in the fourth round.
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Fonseca’s latest victory saw him join former US Open champion Juan Martín del Potro in an exclusive group.
Joao Fonseca enters the history books alongside Juan Martín Del Potro
As per OptaAce, Joao Fonseca has become just the second South American to claim 10 or more ATP Masters 1000 match wins as a teenager.
The only other South American player to do so was Juan Martin del Potro: the 2009 US Open champion and former world number three.
All of Fonseca’s Masters 1000 match wins have occurred across the last two years.
Fonseca won his first Masters 1000 match at the 2024 Madrid Open, beating Alex Michelsen in three sets.
Since then, Fonseca has secured victories in Indian Wells, Miami, Cincinnati and Paris.
Fonseca has already matched his best-ever Masters 1000 performance by reaching the third round at this year’s Indian Wells event.
Fonseca also made the third round of the 2024 Miami Open and Cincinnati Open, beating Learner Tien, Ugo Humbert, Bu Yunchaokete and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina across those two events.
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When Joao Fonseca met Juan Martín del Potro
Last year, Joao Fonseca had the opportunity to celebrate his 19th birthday alongside Juan Martín del Potro at the ‘Stars of the Open’ charity event in New York.
Fonseca and Del Potro teamed up to play Alex Michelsen and Andy Roddick – the 2003 US Open champion.
The South American pair prevailed, beating Roddick and Michelsen 11-9.
“It was super nice, he’s a great guy,” Fonseca said of Del Potro, as per Tennis.com. “I also speak Spanish, and we talked a little bit in Spanish.
“Also, my coach Franco used to be his coach, so we chatted a little bit about that. He talked a little bit about when he played here in 2009.
“He’s an inspiring guy – not just for the player that he was, but for the guy that he is.”
