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It seems that the youngster galore continues in the ATP Tour now more than ever. Jack Draper proved that he has what it takes to shine on the big stage of the ATP Tour when he made short work of Holger Rune in the final of the Indian Wells Masters, coming up with elite plays and massive serves before closing out his opponent in two straight sets at 6-2, 6-2. It was the biggest game of Draper’s career, and he did not fail to impress at all. After having a flurry of tough opponents in the earlier rounds, facing a big server like Rune did not bother Draper’s game at all. In fact, he was so confident that he dictated the pace for the whole match and kept Rune on his back foot for most of it. From every single baseline stroke to a precise serving game of his own, Draper showed why he deserved this success. This win has been an unprecedented push for Draper, who now appears to be the next iteration of the great Andy Murray as the next best British star who is on the rise with the way he is playing right now and ascending in the ATP Rankings now more than ever. Performance for the Ages Draper finished with the highest rating for any performer in the Indian Wells Masters this year with a 9.15 rating. The British star finished with a 43% steal score, 67% conversion score, and 33% in attack. That says a lot about how he has improved his level of play and proved that he can be quite the star considering how he’s a mere 23-year-old who is still learning to grasp his game even better. "It's incredible. I wasn't expecting this," Draper said moments after his one-hour, nine-minute victory. "I've put in a lot of work over time and I'm just so grateful and so happy to be out here to be able to play, my body being healthy, to feel great in my mind. All the work I've done over the last few years feels like it's coming together on the big stage and I can't put that into words." Winning Groove With the win, Draper now enters the top 10 scene and is now slated as the world no. 7 in the ATP Rankings. It can be remembered that this has been one of the best storied climbs in the season so far, as Draper had to beat two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and Americans Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz in the previous rounds before capping off his game at the final. "I feel like I deserve it, in all honestly," Draper said of the milestone. "The amount of adversity I've been through, the amount of sacrifices, the amount of time that all the people around me have put into me and the hard work. It's an emotional feeling to know how much you've gone through and put in, and to be here now to say that I'm going be No. 7 in the world tomorrow, I can't tell you how much that means to me." The final of the Indian Wells was also the first time that an ATP Masters 1000 finale was fought between two players born in the 2000s, and first between players who are outside the top 10 since World No. 26 Cameron Norrie beat No. 36 Nikoloz Basilashvili in the 2021 Indian Wells final.

When Carlos Alcaraz says no, he really means no. That’s what happened in his showdown with Denis Shapovalov in the Round of 32 of the Indian Wells, scoring 6-2 and 6-4 to take his place in the fourth round of the tournament. It does seem that he is on comfortable ground whenever he steps on the courts of the BNP Paribas Open. At this point, the biggest question has been to how will anyone be able to at least stop Alcaraz in the Indian Wells. With his 14th win in a row in the tournament so far, it does seem that he is making an unstoppable case and will be likely headed for the final of the tournament as he did in the last two seasons. Considering that Alcaraz is the heavy favorite to win, it does seem that this kind of groove is expected from him right off the bat, and one can say that he is carrying this pace for a chance to move up in the ranks of the ATP Rankings now more than ever. What a run it has been for the Spaniard so far. Strong From Start to Finish Alcaraz scored a 5-0 rally to start off the game, and he really rattled the Dallas Open champion despite the latter being able to find his game later on. Alcaraz had laser focus in the game and just made quick work of Shapovalov as he closed out the match in just an hour and 24 minutes. "I know he started the season really strong, showing really good tennis with the title in Dallas, playing good tennis in Acapulco, so I knew that I had to start the match really strong, really focused on my things, on the level," Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. "Try to play good tennis, good rallies at the beginning just to get the good pace, to come into the match. I saw that it was going to be a really good and difficult battle, so just really happy with the way that I started the match.” Alcaraz only dropped two sets in his 14-match winning streak in the BNP Paribas Open so far, and he didn’t give up one in this clash and saving three of the four break points he faced, and even converted four of his eight opportunities. That was really a promising performance from him as he maximized his service points won at 41. Beating Shapovalov This win puts Alcaraz at 2-0 in his head to head games against Shapovalov. At the age of 21, the Spaniard has claimed all five of their sets with a margin of at least 6-4 or greater. He definitely faced a player with a lot of firepower in Shapovalov, but his elite backhand proved to be pivotal in forcing the Canadian out of his game. "Nerves are a good thing, but today I didn't feel as much nerves as I did in the first round. Today I was more relaxed, I was calm, so I could think much better,” Alcaraz added. “But as I said, I think every player has nerves at the beginning of the match. It's the way you control it, so I think today and in the first round, I did it pretty well. So hopefully it will continue like this." Shapovalov leads the ATP Tour this season with three wins versus top 10 players in the ATP Rankings, but he definitely missed his chance against Alcaraz as he could not come back from making 27 unforced errors in the match.

Tomas Machac was the highest-ranked player in the ATP Tour not to win a single title. So when he arrived in Acapulco, many people knew that he was a man on a mission as he sought to change that narrative. That’s what he achieved when he closed out Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final to lock up his first trophy. Of course, being Mexico did not bring him any advantage at all, but the Czech came into town with a winning mindset, and it did seem really clear that he’s not backing down from any challenge as he continues to bring his game to another level as he went on to beat Jakub Mensik, Daniel Altmaier, Learner Tien, and Brandon Nakashima en route to the final. Machac now takes his place among Czech players as the third national to score an ATP 500 trophy since 2009 when the series began. He joins former Top 10 players Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek in achieving a strong feat. At the age of 24, Tomas Machac is making his presence felt in a quiet way, and it seems that he may well be on the climb now more than ever. Cracking the Top 20 With the win, Machac enters the top 20 in the ATP Tour heading into the next big stage of the season. So far, the Czech star has been really aggressive in his games, showing off his unpredictability with the way he has played so far. This has been a milestone moment for Machac, who now brings his focus to the next task at hand – the Indian Wells. “It means a lot. It is something I never dreamed could happen. Especially at an ATP 500, so it feels amazing for me,” Machac said of his first ATP Tour singles title. “I was working very hard in the past year, so I am happy I can achieve something that shows me I am going the right way.” Machac had to stave of Davidovich Fokina in the first set, going for a total of 14 deuces before he finally managed to eke out a 1-0 lead. The Czech star would go on to dominate the second set at 6-2 to close out the victory in the Mexican Open. Machac dropped only two sets en route to the victory, losing one each to Brandon Nakashima and Jakub Mensik. Big Game Machac Machac's stats further highlight his fondness for the conditions in Acapulco. In the final, he won 95% of his first-serve points, converting 37 out of 39, as per Infosys ATP Stats—an exceptional achievement that few players manage. He also showcased his aggressive forehand, a precise backhand, and the versatility and speed that are trademarks of his game. “I told my coach two weeks ago that sometimes I struggle in important matches and don't know how to handle these situations... So, I will try to communicate more often,” Machac said. "The emotion right now is relief for the tough week I have had. I don't like losing a final, especially when I am in this form. I am happy for the win because Davidovich was playing very well.” Tomas Machac has the potential to go far, with all the tools to succeed. Though he’s yet to get past the third round of a Grand Slam, he’s steadily progressing, breaking records along the way. It’s likely just a matter of time before he takes on the top 10 and beyond.

Falling short in the Australian Open did not really help much on the 22-year-old’s case for a tennis comeback so far. She did try to compete in other tournaments but lost in the first matches of her last three tournaments, and when she did come up with a promising push in the Dubai Tennis Championships, it seems that it would only come short after she fell in the Round of 32. This season has been tough for Raducanu, and her hopes of a comeback have been really hampered with a lot of injuries over the years. Since winning that US Open Grand Slam, nothing has been easy for Raducanu, and she hopes that this will be her season to come up with a massive comeback now more than ever. The Indian Wells is coming up by the closing stretch of February, and it seems that Raducanu is keen to take her chances to the next level and hope that she can actually find her way back to her groove and finally climb her way back to the upper stages of the WTA Tour once more. Seeking a Chance Surprisingly, Emma Raducanu’s ranking so far has given her a direct entry chance to play in the Indian Wells’ main draw. It can be remembered that she required a wildcard to play the first two WTA 1000 events of 2025 in Doha and Dubai. Emma Raducanu reached the third round at Indian Wells last year and will need to defend 65 points when she returns to the desert to compete on her preferred hard courts next month. She’ll have a significant opportunity to improve her ranking at the Miami Open later in March, another WTA 1000 event that offers valuable ranking points. Although Raducanu has struggled for form in 2025, having suffered four consecutive losses before her victory in last week’s Dubai tournament, the 2021 US Open champion will be keen to establish some consistent wins over the next few weeks. Currently ranked No. 54 in the live rankings, she would need to win two or three matches in both Indian Wells and Miami to climb back into the top 50. Her ranking last year didn’t earn her direct entry into the French Open, but with strong showings in Indian Wells and Miami, she could secure a seed for the second Grand Slam of 2025. After that, she’s set to play the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in mid-April. The majority of the points Raducanu needs to defend will come during the grass court season, following impressive results in Nottingham and Eastbourne last year, before reaching the round of 16 at Wimbledon. Extra Security for Raducanu Emma Raducanu has been assured additional security if she competes in the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. The 22-year-old appeared visibly distressed during her loss to Karolina Muchova in Dubai last week after noticing a man in the crowd who was displaying "fixated behavior" toward her. Before the match, the same man is said to have approached Raducanu outside a café near the tournament hotel, handing her a letter with his personal details. Following the incident, Raducanu flew back to the UK and issued a statement expressing gratitude for her fans' support. She has yet to confirm whether she will participate in the main draw of the Indian Wells tournament, which begins next week.

The massive explosive game of Joao Fonseca is really bringing in the thunder in the ATP Tour, and lightning strikes have caught the attention of the reigning stars in the Tour so far. Fonseca’s rise to dominance in the game has been phenomenal, and he continues to impress in his level of play one game after another. Just a kid from Brazil, Joao Fonseca has just become the 10th youngest titlist in the ATP Tour era since 1990 following his massive victory at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires. Now he is getting his name on the headlines and is starting to make a lot of noise in the game – and it won’t be long until he gets to bring his game to the next level – potentially challenging the top stars in the league who have been playing for a fair amount of time. A Dominance Like no Other Both Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev are still young players who are making their names in the league. The world no. 2 and 3, respectively, have done a great job of establishing their careers at a higher level with the way they are playing right now, and they continue to bring that same energy in their respective games. Well, they are now seeing a younger version of themselves again with Fonseca showing off the same shades in his game so far. “I was watching the match. I think he played a great match, his first ATP Final,” Alcaraz said of Fonseca. “It's not easy to face an ATP Final, and playing against Francisco Cerundolo in his hometown, I know it wasn't easy. I think the level he played, it was insane. I was just really happy about him playing and getting his first ATP title.” It can be remembered that last year, Fonseca was already sitting at world no. 660, and now he has made a quick jump to no. 68. At this point, we might just see Fonseca make a huge rally all the way to the top 10 of the game so far. He just needs to come up with a much more consistent pace in his game as these two top stars did in their early runs. “Actually, I had a similar run through like him,” said Zverev. “I mean, similar ages, everything, breaking through Top 100, similar age, reaching my first tour-level final at a similar age and all that. So kind of a similar run through.” A Potential World no. 1? Alcaraz has already experienced to be at the top of the league at this point, and at the age of 19, he was already the world no. 1 after his 2022 triumph in the US Open. While there is still a lot of hurdles to climb for Fonseca, that kind of run isn’t entirely impossible – and even Alcaraz even seems to acknowledge that possibility at this point. “Potential No. 1? I don't know. I think nobody knows that,” said Alcaraz. “I can say let's see in the future, but he has potential, he has the level to get there or to fight for great things. So, I'm excited to see him in real life in a match. I'm excited to see if I'm going to play against him soon.” Fonseca’s dominance has been on display night in and night out, and many claim that he is also following the same trajectory that top star Carlos Alcaraz has done in his career to become a top star at such an early age. After all, nothing is impossible in tennis.

Making his debut in the indoor tournament at the ATP Rotterdam, Carlos Alcaraz made sure that he would not disappoint in his second tournament run for the 2025 Tour. The Spanish star proved his worth as he showed off in the final against Alex de Minaur, 6-4, 3-6, and 6-2. Alcaraz slammed the door shut to beat the Australian star on the rise in the final set and did not look back. Alcaraz stood his ground firm in the midst of a comeback attempt from de Minaur as he closed out the tournament for good, dominating the final set and securing a massive, gutsy win with surges of service aces and strong volleys to knock off the Australian in his big game. The Spanish star did not waste any time in making a strong campaign in his ATP 500 run. Last season, Alcaraz became the first and only player to win ATP 500 titles held on clay, grass, and hard courts. With the win last Sunday, Alcaraz now adds an indoor surface to his resume and has now improved to a 17-5 overall record in all finals he has played. Getting Back to His Groove It can be remembered that Alcaraz fell short of scoring a win at the previous Australian Open, where he fell to his rival Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. This win in Rotterdam now marks Alcaraz’s first trophy ever since he defeated world no. 1 Jannik Sinner in the Beijing final last October 2024. Alcaraz sank Botic van de Zandschulp in the Round of 32 in a three-set thriller right off the bat, and he would go on to beat Italian rising star Andrea Vavassori in the Round of 16 and fellow Spaniard Pedro Martinez in the quarter-final – both in straight sets. Alcaraz would the go for a promising showdown with Hubert Hurkacz, with the Spanish star emerging victorious in an intense three-set win. So far, Alcaraz has regained his rhythm, and is optimistic with his chances of winning in the next set of tournaments – which would open up with four ATP 500 events for the rest of February, and then the Indian Wells and the Miami Open to enter March. “This week has been a really good week all together,” Alcaraz said to his team. “Putting in really good work. Coming here not feeling 100 percent well with the cold but after every day I'm feeling better and better. Rotterdam has been a really special week for me. I was going to say not only for the title… yeah for the title as well, but for the support that I received here since the first day. Improving Better On the other hand, De Minaur has significantly improved his game to another level, and he now returns to his career-high of world no. 6 thanks to this deep run. The 25-year-old was unable to hold off Alcaraz, but he did show massive growth in forcing him to drop a set. “We're pushing for bigger and better things,” De Minaur said. “It’s been a lot of improvements in my game over the last couple years and I'm going to keep on pushing for more. It's been two years now with this runner-up trophy. I'm hoping I'll get my hand on the winners' one day.” Alcaraz moves to 3-0 in his head to head series with De Minaur, and all of these three games have been played in ATP 500 games. It cannot be denied that there are high expectations for Alcaraz as he felt really comfortable in the indoor tournament.

In just a month entering 2025, Felix Auger-Aliassime made the most of his campaign as he claimed his seventh title and is now a two-time champion after he managed to defeat Kovacevic, sealing a hard-fought three-set thriller that saw the Canadian outlast the ordeal, 6-2, 6-7(7), 7-6(2). This marks Auger-Aliassime’s maiden tour final, and he capped it off with a huge victory after proving his critics wrong, overcoming his early struggles and closing out the final with the bang. The Canadian clinched the win with an ace out wide, roaring his arms above and celebrating his huge success after what has been a storied campaign for him so far. The victory puts Auger-Aliassime’s tally to a total of seven ATP Tour championships, and six of those have come from indoor games. That includes one at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, where he is expected to compete at a high level next week and carry the same pace that he’s been riding so far. A Battle to the Top Felix Auger-Aliassime’s journey to victory in the Montpellier final on Sunday was anything but straightforward, especially after he looked dominant in the opening set. The Canadian initially surged ahead, winning five straight games from 1-2 down, taking control early on. However, the second set proved much more competitive, with both players tightening up their service games. Neither player managed to create any break-point opportunities, leading the set to a tense tie-break. In the breaker, Auger-Aliassime had two opportunities to clinch the title. He first held a championship point at 6-5 on return and then again at 7-6 while serving. Despite the pressure, Kovacevic held firm, playing aggressively to win three consecutive points, ultimately leveling the match at one set apiece. “For sure, the craziest final I have played, whether I won or lost,” said Auger-Aliassime in his on-court interview. “It was a crazy match. I couldn’t have got a better start. I was feeling good, but credit to Aleks, he raised his level. I think it was a very high level on both ends, serving well. This match deserved to go three sets with the way he was playing in the second.” The third set followed a similar pattern, with both men holding serve throughout, although Kovacevic did manage to create a break-point chance at 5-5. However, Auger-Aliassime managed to stave off that threat and served out the game to edge ahead 6-5. After Kovacevic failed to capitalize on his break-point opportunity, Auger-Aliassime maintained his composure and came through in a second-set tie-break, clinching the win and securing the title. Different Paths Converge While Kovacevic was understandably disappointed to fall just short of claiming his first ATP title, he can certainly take pride in his remarkable run to the final. The American had an outstanding week in Montpellier, earning five of his six victories in straight sets, including several impressive wins in the qualifying rounds. His strong performance throughout the tournament will see him rise to a career-high ATP ranking of No. 75, a well-deserved reward for his efforts. For Auger-Aliassime, the win marked another important milestone in his career, showcasing his resilience and mental toughness, especially after an early scare in the final. As both players reflect on their performances, Kovacevic's rise in the rankings and Auger-Aliassime’s steady progression solidified the sense that both men are on the cusp of greater success in the coming months.

Joao Fonseca has been on a tear since 2024, and he continues his massive rise to the ATP Rankings so far. After a successful yet short push in the 2025 Australian Open, it seems that the Brazilian star is just getting started on his massive climb after putting up impressive feats in his major main draw debut in Melbourne. At the age of 18, Fonseca is now the youngest player to ever breach the Top 100 of the ATP Tour, which is a former record held by Carlos Alcaraz, who pulled off the same feat in 2021. He is also the second-youngest South American teenager to crack the Top 100 this century behind Juan Martin del Potro. So far, sky’s the limit for Fonseca, and his massive game continues to be on the rise as he gets the cheers from the crowd, which says a lot about how he is starting to gain stardom at this point in time. Now sitting at world no. 99, it seems that this is a chance that he must make the most of if he is going to continue his ascension. Joining the Top 100 Fonseca’s rise to dominance has been highly anticipated. He has managed to come up with a dream start to the season by capturing an ATP Challenger Tour title in Canberra before reaching his maiden major main draw at the Australian Open, even delivering a huge upset when he defeated the ninth seed Andrey Rublev in the first round. “I'm excited to join the Top 100, play the big tournaments, get my place in this environment and keep working to go bigger,” Fonseca said during a Melbourne press conference. “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.” The expectations are on the high side now more than ever, and it seems that Fonseca’s chances are not that bad. He is now the youngest Brazilian to ever grace the Top 100, beating Cassio Motta, who reached the elite group as a 19-year-old in 1979. Former World No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten accomplished the feat just before his 20th birthday. At the age of 18, it seems that Fonseca is rallying yet another massive run to consider in his games. He may well be the next Carlos Alcaraz, and this is definitely spicing up another huge campaign to remember. Managing Expectations Fonseca just turned pro last February 2024, and he did a lot of great works to make the most of his chances. He is second in the ATP Live Race to Jeddah, just trailing Learner Tien by a meager 25 points. It can also be remembered that Fonseca defeated Tien in the previous year’s Jeddah title match, which says a lot about how the expectations for him are set and ready to roll. “From Brazil, the repercussions are just big. People are getting to know a little bit more of me. That's super nice. The Brazilian people like to cheer a lot for this promising kid,” Fonseca said, referring to himself. “But at the same time, you need to be focused. People are going to say a lot, have more expectations. You need to stay focused on your routine, to work more and more.” So far, this has been a magical start to the season for Fonseca, and you can definitely expect that he will get the best out of his games now more than ever.

Jannik Sinner is starting to make sure that his 2024 campaign wasn’t a lucky one as he now adds another Grand Slam title to his name, clinching the 2025 Australian Open after completing a defense of his title against Alexander Zverev in the final, beating the German star in straight sets. Through two hours and 42 minutes of action, Sinner did not let up and made sure that he would be able to bring his game to the next level after sinking Zverev, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 to keep hold of his Melbourne Major crown. With the win, Sinner now becomes the first Italian star to lift three Grand Slam trophies in the history of the ATP Tour. Since his sweep in the 2024 Australian Open and the US Open, Sinner now extends his match win streak at the hard-court majors to 21 games in a row. It has been a remarkable stretch for Sinner, and it cannot be denied that the reigning world no. 1 is showing his mettle, and he is not slowing down at the age of 23. Grinding for a Repeat Zverev did come up with a strong groove in the second set to force a total of four deuces, but Sinner was relentless in his his attack as he maintained a smooth rhythm throughout the game and has mounted massive pressure on Zverev for most of the second set, allowing him to power for a 7-6 (4) win in that regard. "We worked a lot to be in this position and it is an amazing feeling to share this moment with all of you," Sinner said to his team. "I know a part of the team is at home and my family, but it is amazing to share these feelings with you. I know Darren [Cahill] it is probably your last Australian Open as a coach and I am very, very happy to share this trophy with you. Everything started a little bit when I changed my combination of coaches and physio, I am very happy to have you all here." Sinner made sure to limit Zverev’s baseline counter and proved his expertise on the serve in the first set. He managed to win 85% of points behind his first delivery, and it forced the German to struggle in mounting a sound serve, even falling behind the sixth break point that he faced. The Chase for Big Titles Jannik Sinner began 2024 with just a single big title in his career. Now, he has a total of eight – combining Grand Slam, trophies at the ATP Finals, and Masters 1000 tournament wins. Sinner just became the first man to retain his major title since Rafael Nadal managed to do so in 2006 when he successfully defended his crown at Roland Garros. Alcaraz was on the fiery chase for championships over the years and has been climbing the ladder so far, leading with nine big titles – as he fell for his bid in this year’s Australian Open in the quarterfinals after losing to Novak Djokovic. Still, both men are succeeding at coming up with a promising rate in big title wins, with Alcaraz winning one for five, while Sinner going one for seven. At this point, both stars are chasing a bigger glory in the game, and it seems that we will likely see them battle each other as well as they try to write history now more than ever. Who knows, maybe it is the making of a new promising rivalry that fans would not want to miss.

The last eight of the Australian Open is finally complete, and it seems that fans in Melbourne will now be treated to yet another edition of a master class showdown as Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will be coming in for another fiery clash that everyone would not want to miss as these two power stars collide on the big stage. Carlos Alcaraz’s bid to become the ATP Tour’s youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam remains alive and well with his sweeping win against Jack Draper, who retired in two sets. Alcaraz had the lead before Draper revealed that he’s been managing tendinitis in his hip for most of the week, allowing Alcaraz to push forward. On the other hand, Novak Djokovic plowed through Jiri Lehecka in the Rod Laver Arena as he clinched a 6-3, 6-4, and 7-6 win in two hours and 39 minutes to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals. He now ties Roger Federer’s record of 15 runs to a men’s singles quarterfinals at the hard court major alone. Djokovic did not hold back as he dominated the game and showed no signs of slowing down. Alacaraz On the Climb Carlos Alcaraz now enters his 10th Grand Slam quarterfinal with the hopes of settling a score against Djokovic. The star finished the game and equalled the Open Era record for the most Grand Slam quarter-finals reached by a man aged 21 or under. At this point, Alcaraz looks to add the Australian Open to his list of major titles won after he’s already secured wins in the other three. "I am just happy with the level that I’m playing on the court,” reflected Alcaraz. “Off the court I’m feeling really comfortable here in Australia. I think it’s pretty good. Physically I’m feeling great so coming into the second week of a Grand Slam it’s really important to feel well physically because right now the matches are even tougher. I’m just ready. I think I’m doing great things off the court as well. Alcaraz has been really efficient in his games. He’s managed to come up with with some promising selection in his shots and has high hopes that he would be able to go deeper into the competition now more than ever. Masterclass from Djokovic Djokovic had to brush off some rust in his game. Like he did in his clash with Tomas Machac, the 37-year-old had to dominate the baseline and overwhelm Lehecka in the key moments of the game, producing 21 unforced errors in the match compared to the latter’s 44. It was a rock solid display, and he did not hold back. “I felt great,” Djokovic told Eurosport after the match. “A couple of hiccups here and there, a loose game after I broke his serve in the third. After that I had chances to break him, but every time I had an opportunity to break him, he would serve big. Just very powerful and precise. Obviously a little bit of a different opponent compared to my last-round opponent, but there were quite a few similarities, with a flat backhand and quite an aggressive style. I think I handled the pressure moments well and played some great points towards the end.” His run comes off as a result of bringing in Andy Murray as his coach, but he’s also keen to win his first tournament after going off winless in the 2024 Tour, aside from the gold medal finish in the Olympics.

In an introductory game that could have come at a later time and at a later stage, Joao Fonseca could not miss the chance to show off his development in the game as he rushed to beat world no. 9 Andrey Rublev, cruising through the first round of the Australian Open and making his presence known now more than ever. Earning victory on his major main draw debut, the Brazilian youngster managed to deliver an upset win against Rublev in straight sets, 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (5). Fonseca also continues a promising winning streak dating back to December 2024, where he emerged victorious in the Next Gen ATP Finals and later won the ATP Challenger Tour crown in Canberra in early January. Fans at the Margaret Court Arena were left in shock and awe as the world no. 112 made sure that he would be remembered. Fonseca was drilling one point after another as he made it look easy off both wings while outplaying his 27-year-old opponent, showing how much he has improved in just a short span of time. A Win to Remember The rising star from Brazil showed his high level of confidence and has successfully managed to use the hype surrounding him to further elevate his games. Suffice to say, Fonseca did not let up and made sure that he could come up with bigger performances when it mattered most – and it did pay off. “I just enjoyed every moment on this amazing court, it’s my first time playing in a huge stadium,” Fonseca said. “I want to thank this amazing crowd. There are some Brazilians here... a lot of Brazilians here cheering for me! Fonseca made use of his backhand most of the time to dictate the pace and used his forehand to clap back on Rublev’s high momentum swings. He struck with promising consistency as he fired a total of 51 winners on all areas of the court, forcing Rublev to chase balls from many sides in a match that lasted two hours and 20 minutes. “I was trying to not put pressure on myself, playing with a Top 10 guy in a huge stadium,” Fonseca said. “Iwas trying to call the crowd to help me. I just enjoyed playing my game. That’s one thing about myself, is that I play better in the important points, I go for my shots. That was the difference today.” A Story of Upsets Fonseca started out the year 2024 as the world no. 730 in the ATP Rankings. In a full year, he ended up inside the top 150, thanks to promising campaigns in the ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro and ATP 250 in Bucharest, where he both reached the quarterfinal stages. Now he is up to no. 98 overall in the live rankings. This is the first time that Rublev suffered a tough first-round exit in the Australian Open since 2019, and he is the second top 10 player to exit the AO after Grigor Dimitrov had to retire on Monday. Other massive upsets seen across the Australian Open include Nick Kyrgios, who was a hometown favorite – having been defeated by Jacob Fearnley in the first round as well. Daniil Medvedev survived a scare in the first round as well, narrowly beating world No. 418 Kasidit Samrej in what could have been a historic upset in the Australian Open as of the time of writing.