It is often said that with hard work and perseverance, anyone can achieve the impossible. And while the sporting realm has shown us a lot of such instances, the latest one in the form of Joao Fonseca. Competing in the ATP 500 tournament in Basel, the 19-year-old already made waves when he reached the semifinals. However, with his opponent being Jaume Munar, the task looked quite a daunting one for Fonseca. 

But come the semifinal, the 19-year-old looked unstoppable. Ultimately, demonstrating utter dominance, Fonseca defeated Munar in straight sets 7-6(4), 7-5. And with that, the Brazilian became the fourth youngest player to reach an ATP 500 final. What’s more? He has eclipsed the great Roger Federer as he achieved the feat at a younger age than the Swiss maestro.

Only the likes of Mats Wilander, Goran Ivanisevic, and Jim Courier remain ahead of him. Now, through to what is only the second ATP Final of his career, Fonseca will be up against either Ugo Humbert or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. And if he manages to win the tournament, it will surely be a moment for the teen phenom to remember. 

Fonseca’s only other final appearance came all the way back in February at the ATP 250 Argentina Open, which he won. Following his incredible victory, the Brazilian was asked to reflect on his phenomenal year. “It was an amazing year. Starting at 130 in the world and now 40 something… for the first year we kind of focused a lot on which weeks we were gonna play. We didn’t go to Asia this year, I was a little sick and also stayed more with my mentality working with that.,” he said. “Like I said to you yesterday, I’m getting the opportunities. I’m just very happy to be here and let’s hope to get this trophy.”

He further added, “Like I said to you yesterday, I’m getting the opportunities. I’m just very happy to be here and let’s hope to get this trophy.” This may be his second career final, but Fonseca is exuding confidence. And he does have a lot of reason to believe in himself; a look back at his career will reveal a shocking fact. Just a year back, Fonseca was nowhere the top competitive level.

He stood at a rank of #158. But with immense hard work and determination, the Brazilian 19-year-old has a world ranking of #28 at the moment. This also includes a top 30 debut and seeding at the Australian Open, where he secured an upset victory over Andrey Rublev.

While he is looking to take home another victory, even a defeat would only slip him down to #34. Within a year, Fonseca has established himself as one of the most exciting young players on tour. Meanwhile, there’s more to Fonseca’s incredible season this year. This was also the year when he made his debut at all four Grand Slams.

Joao Fonseca’s breakthrough year from Wimbledon debut to ATP 500 final

In 2024, Joao Fonseca was not even among the world’s top two hundred players. He failed to qualify for Wimbledon last year. But this year, the teenage phenom made sure to get what he has been aiming for for years. In just one year, the Brazilian star climbed to the fifty-fourth position in the ATP Rankings. Adding to that, a few months back, in June 2025, Fonseca played his first ever Wimbledon match.

“For me, this tournament is a dream. Everything you can see is perfect, even the flowers. Every detail is just perfect. When you come here, you just see how amazing it is,” shared Fonseca. He further added how Wimbledon has been his favorite Grand Slam since his childhood. Stating the reason for the same, he added, “…because of the culture and the history of Wimbledon. Every kid that plays tennis and wants to be a professional wants to come here.” 

2025 has indeed been a year of growth for the teenager. He pushed the world’s No. 5 player, Taylor Fritz to three sets at a tournament. He said, “I would say every year that I play, I’m getting more experience on the grass. It’s very different from the other surfaces.” Now, as he aims for a win in the ATP 500 finals, his nation would indeed wait to witness another historic win by the Brazilian.