At the beginning of 2024, Fonseca was ranked 730th in the world, but by the end of the year he had climbed into the top 150 list.
He caught the attention of tennis fans with his appearances in the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro and the ATP 250 in Bucharest.
The teenager really established himself as one of the best newcomers by winning December’s Next Gen ATP Finals – an event for top male players aged 21 and under.
Current world number one Jannik Sinner, who won the tournament in 2019, is the only player to win the title at a younger age than Fonseca.
In fact, it was Sinner who convinced Fonseca to turn professional when he was the Italian’s striking partner at the 2023 ATP Finals.
Fonseka’s performance against Rublev proved his potential as he took the initiative with his powerful forehand and fired home 51 winners to the Russian’s 33.
“I just enjoyed every moment on this amazing court. This is my first performance in such a huge stadium,” said Fonseca.
Fonseca is the second teenager since 1973 to defeat a top-10 opponent in his first Grand Slam, after Mario Ancic defeated Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2002.
When asked in an on-court interview how much money it would cost to have his talent, Fonseca referred to 20-time major winner Federer and replied: “Like Roger said, talent is not enough without hard work.
“My idol has always been Roger. I grew up watching Roger. Everyone wanted to play like him, and even when I was younger I tried to play with one hand [backhand] for a week.”
On Thursday, in the second round, Fonseca will face Italian Lorenzo Sonego, who is 57 places higher.
“Of course my expectations are higher now,” Fonseca said. “I want more and more, I think that’s the mentality of champions.”
