Joao Fonseca enters the fray of the NextGen ATP Finals with the hopes of coming up with a massive run in the tournament. At the age of 18, he’s become one of the top rising stars in the Next Gen, and one can say that punching his ticket to the NextGen ATP Finals has certainly uplifted his case for his ascension to the ATP Tour now more than ever.

Fonseca is the first Brazilian star who will be playing at the NextGen ATP Finals. He was the eighth and final player to qualify for the tournament, and he’s been really on a massive climb so far with the way he’s pursuing success night in and night out. Dubbed as the next Carlos Alcaraz, it cannot be denied that his potential is sweeping the ATP Tour trends today.

The NextGen ATP Finals serves as the perfect stage for Fonseca to come up with a promising finish to 2024, which has been a massive campaign for the Brazilian so far. Considering the fact that Fonseca is still young, one can expect him to join the upper echelon of the ATP Tour next season and make a big break in his game after this year.

Fast Rise to the Top

If you are not impressed with the way Joao Fonseca is playing right now, it is worth noting that the Brazilian star came from starting the season at World no. 730 all the way to being the youngest at the top 150, currently sitting at the no. 145 – which is a career-high thanks to his impressive season.

Fonseca shot the lights out in February when he made a splash in Rio de Janeiro, advancing to the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 at home while also beating both Arthur Fils and Cristian Garin – who are seen as rising contenders in today’s NextGen class so far. He would also go on to reach the final eight in Bucharest and even won his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Lexington.

“I was really not thinking about it,” the Brazilian said in an interview. “After Rio, where I made the quarters, I jumped from 600 to 300. So it was a really big jump. I think when we have this kind of opportunity, you don't have any pressure; you just need to enjoy, and this is what I did in Rio. I was like No. 600 and I was playing guys from the Top 100.”

Tennis is About Steps

This season has been all about breakthrough for Joao Fonseca so far, and sky is the limit for his chances of winning now more than ever with the way he is playing right now. But for the Brazilian, this climb to the top is all about steps, and he’s certainly making the most of it.

“I'd say tennis is about steps, so it's important to play tournaments on the Challenger Tour to get a bit more experience,” said Fonseca. “Obviously, I wanted to go as fast as I could to the ATP Tour, but it's step by step. After Rio and after Bucharest, I made a real big jump. It's really nice and I’ve seen my expectations go faster than I could imagine. Now, step by step, I am trying to enter the ATP Tour. That is where I want to be.”

The big successes that Fonseca has enjoyed so far has been quite fun to watch, and it cannot be denied that his presence in the game has proven to be a huge climb now more than ever.