Carlos Alcaraz has backed Joao Fonseca to win a grand slam title after the Brazilian's brilliant Australian Open bow. (Full Coverage | More Tennis News)
Fonseca marked his grand slam debut in style on Tuesday, defeating🧸 ninth seed Andrey Rublev 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 7-6 (7-5).
✅The 18-year-old enjoyed a remarkable 2024, which he capped off with a title tilt at the ATP Next Gen Finals.
ꦅFonseca will take on Lorenzo Sonego in round two, and Alcaraz - himself only 21 - sees the sky as the limit for the teenager.
🦄Asked if he had watched Fonseca's match against Rublev, Alcaraz told reporters: "I saw a little bit. I couldn't watch the whole match.
🀅"I saw a little bit at the beginning and the end. What can I say about it? Just incredible.
𝐆"The way he played [in] his first grand slam match against his first top 10 [opponent], it's unbelievable.
๊"The way he approached the match, the way he handled everything, the nerves, the match in general, it was fantastic."
🐼Fonseca is only the second teenager since 1973 to defeat an ATP top-10 opponent in their maiden grand slam match, after Mario Ancic, who shocked Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2002.
𓃲When asked if he thinks Fonseca will go on to compete for a major crown, Alcaraz said: "He's someone that I have to be careful of! He's going to be there.
♌"This is just the beginning of the year, just one win in a grand slam, but he's going to be there.
⭕"We're going to be putting Joao Fonseca's name on the list of the best players in the world really soon."
🅘Alcaraz beat Yoshihito Nishioka on Wednesday, teeing up a third-round tie with Nuno Borges.
