Joao Fonseca defeats Jacob Fearnley on Wimbledon debut

Wimbledon

Fonseca flies past Fearnley on Wimbledon debut

#NextGenATP Brazilian will play Griekspoor or Brooksby next

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Joao Fonseca in action against Jacob Fearnley on Monday at Wimbledon. By Andy West

Joao Fonseca continued his habit of making an immediate impact at the majors with a classy debut showing Monday at Wimbledon.

The #NextGenATP Brazilian raced past home favourite Jacob Fearnley 6-4, 6-1, 7-6(5) to become the first 18-year-old to reach the second round at the grass major since Carlos Alcaraz in 2021. Competing in the sort of stifling heat he would be used to at home in Rio de Janeiro, Fonseca produced a powerful display throughout and kept his cool in his only real moment of peril, when set point down at 5-6, 30/40 in the third set.

“It means a lot. It’s super special for me,” said Fonseca in his on-court interview. “It’s my favourite Grand Slam since my childhood. I’ve been watching all the matches, so it’s just a pleasure being here. I’m sorry for winning against a British guy, but thanks a lot for the support here. Thanks for respecting the tennis today. Jacob is a great friend, a great player and I’m looking forward to my next meetings against him.”

Prior to January’s Australian Open, Fonseca had not played a main-draw match at a Grand Slam tournament. Yet the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion stunned then-Top 10 star Andrey Rublev in Melbourne to announce himself on the world stage. After lifting his maiden ATP Tour title in February in Buenos Aires, the Brazilian then reached the third round of a major for the first time at Roland Garros.

Even with those recent standout performances in mind, the way Fonseca dismantled Fearnley at Wimbledon was impressive. Although he played qualifying for the event last year, the teenager had contested only four tour-level matches on grass prior to Monday’s clash. He nonetheless had no trouble bringing his clean hitting game to his least-familiar surface against Fearnley.

More to follow…

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