18-Year-Old Brazilian Qualifier Fonseca Defeats No.9 Rublev 7-6, 6-3, 7-6 in Australian Open Debut

Jan 14, 2025, 12:20 PM

Brazilian teenager João Fonseca stunned the tennis world by defeating world No.9 and ninth seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets at the Australian Open. The 18-year-old, making his Grand Slam main draw debut, won 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-6(5) against the Russian. Fonseca, who came through qualifying, is on a 14-match winning streak, including a recent title at the Next Gen ATP Finals. He produced 29 winners during the match and becomes only the second teenager since 1973 to defeat a top-10 player in his maiden Grand Slam main draw match. With this win, he is projected to enter the ATP top 100 and becomes the youngest Brazilian to win a Grand Slam main draw match. Fonseca will face Italy's Lorenzo Sonego (#55) in the second round. "Not bad. I just enjoyed every moment," Fonseca said after the match. "This court is an amazing court. My first time playing in a huge stadium."