BY: OSABUOHIEN IMUETINYANOSA
Joao Fonseca a Brazilian teenager making waves in the tennis world as he claim his first ATP title at the Argentina Open, by crushing Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets.
The 18-year-old rising star has done well to unfold his force and skills in the sport by beating ninth-ranked Andrey Rublev in the first round of the Australian Open in January. He has nothing but in view to become world no.1 and and with Slams, and he’s on fire to see such dream realized .
The 18-year-old Brazilian beat Cerundolo 6-4 7-6 (7-1) in front of a boisterous Buenos Aires crowd at the Argentina Open.
World number 99 Fonseca is ranked 79 places below Cerundolo but played with maturity and aggression to see off his opponent.
Fonseca is the fourth youngest man since 2000 to win an ATP singles title – after Kei Nishikori, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.
He is the 10th youngest champion in ATP Tour history and the first born in 2006 to win a title.
“Even in Argentina there are Brazilians cheering for me. That’s amazing,” Fonseca told the crowd afterwards.
“What I’m living is just unbelievable. I want to thank my friends and sponsors for helping me achieve my dream – to just play tennis.”
He was the second-youngest champion at the tournament after world number one Jannik Sinner, who won in 2019, and who persuaded Fonseca to turn professional after a hitting session in 2023.
Fonseca then began the year by stunning ninth seed Andrey Rublev in the first round of the Australian Open, with Spain’s four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz tipping him as a future star.
Against Cerundolo, he came back from an early break down in the first set to take the lead and served for the match at 5-4 and 6-5 up in the second.
He was twice broken back by his experienced opponent, but Fonseca took total control in the tie-break, dropping just one point before clinching the title with an angled forehand winner.
He will rise to 68 in the world rankings before travelling to his home tournament, the Rio Open, which begins on Monday.
(BBC).
The 18 years old is blazing with fire into making history as he’s now the first man born in 2006 or later to win an ATP trophy, and the youngest South American player to win a title in the ATP Tour dispensation.
