Fonseca: No. 1 dreams, Federer-Nadal fandom & more

It All Adds Up

Fonseca: No. 1 dreams, Federer-Nadal fandom & more

Brazilian speaks exclusively to ATPTour.com

ATP Tour/Getty Images It all adds up for Joao Fonseca. By ATP Staff

Joao Fonseca closed his eyes in relief and put his head in his hands on Wednesday. The Brazilian had just booked his place in the Wimbledon third round, equalling his best result at a major. The 18-year-old, who won last year's Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, will next meet Nicolas Jarry in a South American clash on the SW19 grass.

ATPTour.com caught up with Fonseca earlier this year to learn about his journey. The teenager shared his greatest success, favourite rivalry, favourite tournament and more.

What has been your greatest success?

Well, my greatest success has been winning the Next Gen [Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF] or maybe winning my first title, the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires.

What’s been the most unique moment in your career?

The most unique moment in my career was winning against [Cristian] Garin in the round of 16 at the Rio Open, the ATP 500 which is in my hometown. And for me it was super unique.

What is the biggest number or the accomplishment that you're chasing?

My biggest dream is to become No. 1 in the world, so I'm working very hard to one day get it.

How long have you been pursuing that dream?

For a long time, since I was 10 years old.

What is your favourite ATP tournament to play?

My favourite ATP tournament to play is the Rio Open, which is my home. Playing [in front of] my friends, family, and the Brazilian crowd is super amazing for me.

What's been the coolest off-court experience you've had as a professional tennis player?

The coolest off-court experience that I had was to get in a boat on the Red Sea in Jeddah when I went to the Next Gen [ATP Finals presented by PIF].

What made it so cool?

I was with the seven best under-20 guys. So, it was super cool. It was a super nice experience. First time in the Red Sea, and just enjoying a great boat. It was really cool with the guys.

What is your favourite tennis rivalry?

I [will] say Rafa and Federer. I mean Federer is my idol. What they both achieved, I love watching them both play long matches. It's super good to see those guys.

Who is your greatest rival?

I'm still young, so there's no one that I played [enough]. There's one guy, when I was 14, Pedro Rodrigues — Brazilian player — but he's in college now. He plays some ITFs, and now he's in college. But that was one guy, we had a good, good rivalry. It was always a difficult match.

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