Fonseca was ranked 730th on the planet initially of 2024, however by the tip of the 12 months he had surged up the rankings into the highest 150.
He captured tennis followers’ consideration with quarter-final runs on the ATP 500 occasion in his house metropolis of Rio de Janeiro and on the ATP 250 in Bucharest.
{The teenager} really established himself as among the best newcomers by successful December’s Subsequent Gen ATP Finals – an occasion for the perfect male gamers aged 21 and below.
Present world primary Jannik Sinner, who gained the event in 2019, is the one participant to have lifted the title at a youthful age than Fonseca.
In reality, it was Sinner who satisfied Fonseca to show skilled when he was a hitting associate for the Italian on the 2023 ATP Finals.
Fonseca’s exhibiting in opposition to Rublev proved his potential, as he took cost together with his highly effective forehand and fired house 51 winners to the Russian’s 33.
“I simply loved each second on this superb courtroom, it is my first time enjoying in an enormous stadium,” Fonseca mentioned.
Fonseca is simply the second teenager since 1973 to beat a top-10 opponent at their maiden Grand Slam, after Mario Ancic beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2002.
Requested in his on-court interview how a lot cash it might price to have his expertise, Fonseca referenced 20-time main winner Federer, replying: “Like Roger mentioned, expertise isn’t sufficient with out laborious work.
“My idol was at all times Roger, I grew up watching Roger. Everybody wished to play like him and I even tried after I was youthful the one-handed [backhand] for one week.”
Fonseca will meet Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego, who’s ranked 57 locations increased, within the second spherical on Thursday.
“After all my expectations are larger now,” Fonseca mentioned. “I need increasingly more, I feel that’s the mentality of champions.”