Federer, Nadal or Djokovic? Joao Fonseca reveals who his childhood idol is

At just 18 years old, Joao Fonseca is already making waves in the tennis world. After a standout performance at the 2024 Next Gen event, the Brazilian confirmed that the new generation of players is ready to make a significant impact. Fonseca made his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open against ATP No. 9, Andrey Rublev, and secured a straight-set victory, marking a historic moment in his career.

After the match, Fonseca was asked about his tennis idols, and his answer was clear. “My idol was always Roger. I grew up watching Roger,” Fonseca shared. “Of course, I think everyone wanted to play like him”.

He also recalled attempting to mimic Federer’s famous one-handed backhand early in his career. “But I even tried, when I was younger, one-handed,” Fonseca continued. “I tried for, like, one week, and then I had something in my elbow, and then I forgot, I’m going to go two-handed again (smile). But, yeah, he is an idol for me. He inspires me”.

With his victory over Rublev, Fonseca defeated a Top 10 player in a Grand Slam at the age of 18 years and four months, thus surpassing Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who only achieved their first victories on this scale and in a tournament of this magnitude at the age of 19.

Joao Fonseca of Brazil shakes hands with Andrey Rublev following victory in the Men’s Singles First Round match during the 2025 Australian Open. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

The dream cut short

Despite the excitement surrounding Fonseca’s win over Rublev, his run at the Australian Open came to a quick end. In the next round, he was defeated by Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego in a tough five-set match, 3-2.

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After the loss, Fonseca reflected on his impressive rise through the ATP rankings, including his recent entry into the Top 100. “I’m excited to join the Top 100, play the big tournaments, get my place in this environment, and keep working to go bigger, to have more and more ranking,” he said. “I think for me, in my opinion, the sky’s the limit. You need to work more and more to reach your dream, which is to become No. 1”.

Novak Djokovic on Fonseca’s impact

Novak Djokovic, the all-time Grand Slam leader, also shared his thoughts on Fonseca’s promising future. “I’ve been following his rise, and I just love how he plays the big points. Courageous, very clean hitter, all-around player,” said the Serbian star.

Djokovic also highlighted the significance of Brazil having another world-class tennis talent, following in the footsteps of legendary player Guga Kuerten. “Brazil is a huge country,” Djokovic continued. “It’s super important for our sport to have a very good player coming from Brazil. I think they haven’t had a player maybe of this calibre since Guga Kuerten”.

“It’s exciting times for Brazil, but also for the whole tennis world because such a young player and person to be able to play so good on a big stage is impressive,” Djokovic added.