Tennis

Joao Fonseca, a rising star in the tennis world, is making his tour-level debut on grass at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, Germany. The 17-year-old Brazilian received a wild card to the tournament, which holds special significance as it is where his idol Roger Federer has won 10 titles.Fonseca's journey to Halle has been marked by impressive performances at various levels. He reached the quarterfinals of the Rio Open, defeated Arthur Fils and Cristian Garin, and secured his first ATP 1000 match win in Madrid. His recent victories in Bucharest have propelled him to a career-high ranking of No. 217.The Terra Wortmann Open provides a unique environment for Fonseca to learn and grow. The tournament's relaxed atmosphere and convenient amenities allow him to focus on his game. He has already had the opportunity to train with Stefanos Tsitsipas and Chris Eubanks, gaining valuable insights into the routines and strategies of established players.Fonseca's aggressive style of play is well-suited to grass courts, where he can use his serve and net play to his advantage. He acknowledges the importance of holding serve and being decisive in his approach.Despite his recent successes, Fonseca remains grounded and focused on gradual improvement. He believes in taking things step by step and maintaining a humble attitude. His goal is to continue competing in high-level tournaments and absorb as much knowledge as possible from his experiences.

The Mutua Madrid Open witnessed a surge of teenage talent on Thursday, as Joao Fonseca and Jakub Mensik joined Jerry Shang in the second round.Fonseca, a 17-year-old wild card, upset fellow teen Alex Michelsen 4-6, 6-0, 6-2. The Portuguese capitalized on his break point opportunities, converting six of 11, and fired 30 winners to advance. He will face No. 29 seed Cameron Norrie in the next round.Mensik, 18, also impressed with a 6-4, 7-6 (3) victory over Yannick Hanfmann. The Czech, ranked No. 74 in the world, will now take on ninth seed Grigor Dimitrov.Lorenzo Sonego set up a clash with compatriot Jannik Sinner after defeating Richard Gasquet 6-2, 7-5. Sinner, the top seed, has a perfect 4-0 record against Sonego in 2023, but none of those matches were played on clay.Roberto Bautista Agut, a lucky loser, battled past Daniel Elahi Galan 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-1. The home favorite will face 16th seed Karen Khachanov for a spot in the third round.Other notable winners on the day included Felix Auger-Aliassime, Matteo Arnaldi, and Tomas Machac. Auger-Aliassime will face Adrian Mannarino, Arnaldi will challenge world No. 4 Daniil Medvedev, and Machac will take on No. 14 seed Ben Shelton.The Mutua Madrid Open continues to showcase the rising stars of tennis, with several teenagers making their mark in the tournament.

Joao Fonseca, the 17-year-old Brazilian tennis prodigy, has continued his impressive run on the ATP Tour, reaching the quarterfinals of the Bucharest Open. Fonseca, who turned pro in February, has made the most of his wild card opportunity, defeating Radu Albot in straight sets.Fonseca's victory over Albot was a hard-fought battle, with the Brazilian initially trailing 0-2 before finding his footing. He battled to win the opening tiebreak and kept the momentum on his side with an immediate break. Fonseca made significantly more first serves in the second set, finishing with an inside-in forehand winner to seal the victory."Today was a great fight," Fonseca said in an on-court interview. "I knew the court would be heavy because of the rain. Yesterday we started with one game (due to rain) and he started breaking me.""I knew he was an experienced guy. He's double my age, so I needed to fight to the end and I'm very happy with this win," Fonseca reflected.With the victory, Fonseca is projected to crack the Top 250 of the rankings for the first time. He will aim to reach his maiden tour-level semifinal against fourth seed Alejandro Tabilo.Elsewhere in the tournament, two seeds were sent packing. Marton Fucsovics knocked out second-seeded Tallon Griekspoor, while Corentin Moutet overcame seventh-seeded Nuno Borges.With inclement weather still impacting play, the likes of No. 1 seed Francisco Cerundolo and American Sebastian Korda will be required to pull double duty Friday in order to book final-four spots.

Joao Fonseca, the 17-year-old Brazilian tennis prodigy, has made a bold decision to forgo his NCAA tennis commitment to the University of Virginia in favor of pursuing his professional tennis ambitions full-time. This decision comes after Fonseca's impressive performance at the recent Rio Open, where he reached the quarterfinals, becoming the first player born in 2006 to win an ATP match.Fonseca's journey to this point has been marked by consistent success. As the 2023 US Open boys' champion, he has demonstrated his exceptional talent and potential. His victory over then 36th-ranked Arthur Fils in the Rio Open opener was a testament to his ability to compete at the highest level.In a statement on his Instagram, Fonseca expressed the difficulty of his decision, acknowledging his dream of experiencing college life and playing tennis with a team. However, he ultimately felt that the allure of professional tennis was too strong to ignore."It was an incredibly tough decision for me and my family as I have been dreaming about living a college life in Charlottesville, playing the sport that I love with a wonderful team and coach, but, in the last months, professional tennis called me in a way that I simply couldn't say 'no'," Fonseca shared.Fonseca's decision highlights the growing trend of young tennis players opting for professional careers over traditional college paths. While college tennis offers valuable opportunities for development and education, the allure of immediate professional success and financial rewards can be difficult to resist.Despite his decision to forgo college, Fonseca remains grateful for the support he received from the University of Virginia and coach Andres Pedroso. He believes that college tennis can still be a viable path for young players aspiring to professional careers.Fonseca's next challenge will be the Chile Open in Santiago, where he will look to build on his impressive start to the season. With his talent and determination, he has the potential to become a regular on the ATP Tour sooner than anticipated.