Joao Fonseca, the 19-year-old Brazilian tennis sensation, has declared himself a Roger Federer fan while acknowledging that Rafa Nadal's relentless work ethic left a lasting impression on his own development. The rising star, who stunned the tennis world by coming from two sets down to defeat Novak Djokovic at the French Open earlier this year, is now on a potential collision course with the Serbian legend at Wimbledon.
Fonseca draws inspiration from Big Three
Speaking ahead of his Wimbledon first-round match against Roberto Bautista Agut, Fonseca reflected on how the sport's greatest players shaped his approach. 'I think the first thing that I kind of took as an inspiration is talent combined with hard work,' Fonseca said. 'I'm a Roger fan, I always saw Roger, but I would say more about Nadal - Nadal is a guy that has a lot of talent but people look [a lot] at his hard work, the way that he fights, the way that he gives it all.'
The Brazilian admitted that as a teenager, he initially lacked discipline. 'When I was younger, I would say that I wasn't the most hard working one, like 13, 14 [years old], and then I started understanding that if I combined the two (talent and hard work) I would achieve things much easier and much faster,' he explained. 'It was the first thing that clicked.'
Lessons in humility and passion
Fonseca also highlighted the humility and passion displayed by the Big Three as key takeaways. 'They inspired me with the way they speak, the way that they are humble, feet on the ground,' he said. 'And when you have 24 Grand Slams [like Djokovic], you don't have anything more to win and you're still playing here for love. So enjoy playing, enjoy playing for love and being around good people. That's also an inspiration.'
Fonseca's victory over Djokovic at Roland Garros was a career-defining moment. The 19-year-old came from two sets down to eliminate the 24-time Grand Slam champion, a result that boosted his confidence significantly. 'I think that result was important for me in many matters,' Fonseca said. 'I think first, proving myself that I could win matches that I was two sets down and kind of trusted more of my physique, my mentality.'
He also revealed that he had been struggling with a wrist injury and low confidence heading into the French Open. 'When I arrived in Roland Garros I was not feeling great with my confidence, not playing good tennis, and I actually didn't know I was going to play 100 per cent because I was feeling something in my wrist. But then [I was] improving each day, feeling better with my wrist. It was a tournament that I had no expectations at all and had some amazing results, a match against Novak that I'm going to remember for my whole life.'
Wimbledon ambitions
Fonseca is seeded 24th at Wimbledon this year, having reached the third round on his main draw debut in 2025. He is now aiming to go further, with a potential fourth-round showdown against Djokovic looming. 'So yeah, it was important for me [for many reasons], those results, and hopefully I can do more and more and get this experience to achieve more goals,' he said.
The Brazilian's rapid rise has drawn comparisons to the sport's greatest players, and his ability to learn from their examples suggests he has the mentality to compete at the highest level. As he prepares to face Bautista Agut, Fonseca will be hoping to channel the hard work of Nadal, the elegance of Federer, and the resilience of Djokovic as he continues his Wimbledon campaign.
