Who is Joao Fonseca, the 17-year-old starlet backed for big things by Novak Djokovic?

Joao Fonseca, the teen sensation tipped for greatness by Novak Djokovic, has told Tennis365’s Alex Spink he swapped dreams of playing football for Brazil for becoming the world’s best tennis player.

The Rio de Janeiro native is 17 years old and only turned professional in February, yet already he is ranked 230 in the world and attracting the attention of statistically the greatest male player to play the game.

Asked back in April to name his dark horse on clay, Djokovic replied: “Fonseca the Brazilian. I saw him play. He plays really well. He reminds me of my game.”

Casual tennis observers might not even have heard of Fonseca but given the speed of his ascent up the rankings they soon will.

His story began in Turkey in November of 2022 when he led Brazil to their first Junior Davis Cup title, beating the United States to top spot and winning all six of his matches.

The following September he became only the second Brazilian, after Thiago Seyboth Wild in 2018, to win the US Open Boys’ title, defeating home hope Learner Tien in three sets at Flushing Meadows.

Two months after that, he was invited to the ATP Finals in Turin as a hitting partner and practised with, among others, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner.

He would end a whirlwind 2023 season as world champion of the junior circuit, decide to forego his place at the University of Virginia and instead turn professional.

“In the last few months,” he explained at the time, “professional tennis called me in a way that I simply could not say ‘no’.”

Within weeks he had become the second youngest player ever to reach the quarter-finals of an ATP 500 series event. No other player born in 2006 or later has won an ATP Tour main draw match.

All of which adds fuel to Djokovic’s theory that this kid can play a bit. But was it always tennis for the sports-mad Fonseca?

“Actually soccer was my first dream, every Brazilian kid has a dream of becoming a soccer player,” he revealed to Tennis365 at the Surbiton Challenger.

In the opening round in Surbiton, Fonseca brushed aside former world No 14 Kyle Edmund for the loss of only three games to win his first match on grass as a pro.

“I’d be one of those kids with a ball playing on Copacabana beach and I was okay at it but, to be honest, I never seriously thought I could make a career out of it and when I picked up an injury playing, I decided soccer was not for me. It was a bit too dangerous.

“My parents (mum Roberta and dad Christiano) are very into sports. They play a lot of different sports and so I did too: surfing, climbing, soccer, kite-surf, tennis. Until I was 11 or 12, I was playing more soccer, but once I tried tennis and found I was quite good, that was it.

“Things have gone well and I’m excited for the future, but I need to stick with the process, go match by match, tournament by tournament. Stay humble and keep calm.”

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When he talks about his tennis heroes, Fonseca quickly name checks a fellow countryman: former world No 1 and three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten.

“I was always inspired by Roger [Federer],” Fonseca adds. “When I was younger I was always wearing his t-shirts. But in Brazil, obviously Guga [Kuerten] inspired me to keep improving, not just as a player but as a person. He’s also a great guy.”

For all his success on clay, Kuerten did not wear the US Open Boys’ crown, so that is a feather in Fonseca’s cap – and, by his own admission, an unexpected one.

“The US Open [Junior title last year] was not a predicted thing because I was not playing very good in the tournaments before,” he recalls. “But I was so focused that week. I played unbelievable tennis and was very happy.

“It gave me confidence going into the pros, not just to win the US Open but to finish the year as No 1. But it’s such a different thing playing pros to juniors.”

Without doubt, but push Fonseca gently on his ambitions and, whilst measured in his response, respectful of the bounteous talent on tour, he is clear where he wants to get to.

“I have a dream of becoming No 1,” he says. “I think every player has this dream. Obviously you need to keep your feet on the ground and just stay humble and focused on your routine. Stay with cute people, people who are helping you to become what you want and to reach your dreams.

“I have incredible support in Brazil and wherever I play, in Australia, America, here in the UK, there seem to be Brazilians everywhere cheering for me. I am so proud to represent my country.”

It remains to be seen what Fonseca can achieve on grass this summer, but the portents are good, given he won the LTA Junior International at Roehampton last year prior to making last eight at the Wimbledon Boys’ event.

“I like playing on grass,” he says. “The points are much shorter than on clay and hard and I like that. My game is aggressive. I like going for the ball, going to the net. It feels good. Let’s see if it stays good.”

By Alex Spink