Joao Fonseca played Jannik Sinner for the first time at Indian Wells, losing in two tiebreakers, 6-7 (6-8), 6-7 (4-7).
He then played Carlos Alcaraz at the Miami Open, where he lost in straight sets, 4-6, 4-6.
Afterwards, he compared the world’s top two players, describing Sinner as ‘more like a robot’ than Alcaraz.
Will Joao Fonseca be the man to break up Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s dominance?
If not, who will be?
Serena Williams’ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, has now delivered his verdict on Fonseca’s comments.
Patrick Mouratoglou was surprised to hear Joao Fonseca publicly compare Jannik Sinner to a robot
Mouratoglou reacted to Fonseca’s ‘robot’ statement on Instagram.
“I feel the opinion of Joao Fonseca on [Carlos] Alcaraz and [Jannik] Sinner after playing them back to back is very interesting,” said Mouratoglou.
“Carlos is incredibly creative, and he has an incredible arsenal, as Joao [Fonseca] says.
“We’ve seen that when he ‘overdoses’ on tennis, he loses his creativity.
“He’s up and down, he makes many more unforced errors, and then he’s not the same player anymore.
“On the other hand, you have Jannik Sinner. I understand what Joao means by saying he is like a robot; it’s just a feeling he has.
“A guy who hits the ball incredibly on both sides, taking the ball super early, and he almost never misses.”
ATP stats (Last 52 weeks)
| Player | Serve rating | Return rating | Under pressure rating |
| Jannik Sinner | 300 (1st on ATP Tour) | 165.1 (1st on ATP Tour) | 242.9 (5th on ATP Tour) |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 288.6 (9th on ATP Tour) | 162.2 (2nd on ATP Tour) | 260.8 (1st on ATP Tour) |
| Joao Fonseca | 283.3 (16th on ATP Tour) | 130.2 (56th on ATP Tour) | 197.6 (53rd on ATP Tour) |
The Frenchman did, however, admit that he was surprised by what Fonseca said.
“Am I surprised by Joao saying this? Yes, a little bit,” said Mouratoglou.
“He doesn’t try to be politically correct.
“He says what he thinks, after playing against the best two players in the world and explaining the differences between those guys.”
Fonseca’s comments clearly weren’t meant to offend; instead, they were complimentary towards Sinner’s consistency.
And his analysis was pretty accurate…
Watching Sinner and Alcaraz play, you and I would likely come to the same conclusion.
The Spaniard plays a more attractive and varied brand of tennis, while Sinner relies on the basics, which he has perfected.
It’s great for the sport that the world’s top two players approach the game differently, but the question is whether anyone can stop them!
When might Joao Fonseca play Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner next?
Alcaraz, Sinner, and Fonseca will all begin their clay-court seasons at the 2026 Monte Carlo Masters.
Seeded first and second, Alcaraz and Sinner could meet each other in the final, but may play Fonseca well before then.
The Brazilian, ranked 40th, hasn’t been seeded for the tournament in Monte Carlo, and could therefore play Alcaraz or Sinner from the very first round.
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Fonseca failed to beat Sinner and Alcaraz in America, but played well in both matches.
He would love another chance on a surface where he won his maiden ATP title last year.
Joao Fonseca’s ATP titles
- 2025 Argentina Open (clay)
- 2025 Swiss Indoors (indoor hard)
The 19-year-old has long been touted as the player most likely to form a new ‘big three’ with Alcaraz and Sinner.
When he broke through at last year’s Australian Open, many argued that Fonseca had Grand Slam-winning potential.
A year on, Fonseca hasn’t enjoyed the meteoric rise some expected, even though he’s won two ATP titles.
The Brazilian has struggled to maintain a consistent level, often losing early in tournaments.
Joao Fonseca’s record in 2026 (5-5)
| Tournament | Performance | Match wins |
| Brisbane International | Withdrew | – |
| Australian Open | First round | 0 |
| Argentina Open | First round | 0 |
| Rio Open | Second round | 1 (Thiago Monteiro) |
| Indian Wells | Fourth round | 3 (Raphael Collignon, Karen Khachanov, Tommy Paul) |
| Miami Open | Second round | 1 (Fabian Marozsan) |
He’ll be hoping for a strong clay-court campaign, as he looks to return to the world’s top 30 and push on to bigger and better things.
Only time will tell what the future holds for Fonseca, but he won’t want to get too far ahead of himself.
For now, he should target a solid Monte Carlo tournament, as he prepares to make his debut in the principality.
The 2026 Monte Carlo Masters begins on Monday, April 6.
