Joao Fonseca began his Rio Open campaign on Tuesday, defeating compatriot Thiago Monteiro in straight sets.
Fonseca, who has called for a major change at the event, defeated Monteiro 7-6, 6-1 and set up a clash against Peru’s Ignacio Buse in the next round.
After an impressive 2025 campaign, the Brazilian prodigy has struggled to find his footing at the start of the 2026 season.
The 19-year-old struggled with a lower back injury throughout the Australian swing, before suffering a shock first-round exit at the Buenos Aires Open.
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In Rio, Fonseca has recorded his first victory of the season, and he will be hopeful of going far in the tournament.
Joao Fonseca’s big opportunity in Rio
When comparing the two ATP 500 events taking place this week, it is easy to conclude that the Rio Open presents the easier path for Joao Fonseca.
In Rio, the highest seed is Francisco Cerundolo: the world number 19 and Buenos Aires Open champion. The second seed and fourth seed – Luciano Darderi and Sebastian Baez – have already been knocked out of the tournament.
Comparatively, the Qatar Open’s draw included the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev.
Fonseca’s path to the Rio Open title, while not straightforward, is certainly easier than it would have been had he competed in Doha.
If Fonseca beats Buse, he will play Matteo Berrettini or Dusan Lajovic in the quarter-finals. From there, he could play Francisco Cerundolo in the semi-finals and Tomas Etcheverry in the final.
Etcheverry, seeded eighth in Rio, is the world number 51.
Simply put: with how the draw has played out so far, Fonseca may not get a better chance to win the Rio Open.
The Brazilian will be hopeful after already improving upon his performance at the 2025 event. Last year, Fonseca lost to Alexandre Muller in his opening match.
Thiago Monteiro praises Joao Fonseca
Speaking to ESPN Brazil after the match, Monteiro highlighted Fonseca’s unlimited potential.
Monteiro said: “He [Fonseca] has a lot of guts, a lot of power, has all the fundamentals at a very high level. He’s really a player with no ceiling. My full support goes to him.”
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Fonseca faces Ignacio Buse next – a player whom the Brazilian has never played before on the ATP Tour.
Speaking to Clay Magazine in July last year, Buse said people need to allow Fonseca to develop his game at his own pace.
He’s two years younger than me,” Buse said about Fonseca. “I only came across him in my last year as a junior. He was incredible — won the US Open, finished as world number one.
“The Garoto [boy] is a great kid. I hope he stays that way — he’s very humble. His team works really well, they’re all humble people.
“I think people need to leave him alone, develop in peace, because as soon as he gets a good result, they start piling on pressure. The kid plays incredibly well. And I believe he’ll be up there among the best, but like everyone, he’ll have to go through his own process.”
