ATP 500 BASEL
Joao Fonseca continued his remarkable ascent on Sunday at the Swiss Indoors Basel, capturing his second tour-level title — and first at ATP 500 level — with a fearless display against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The 19-year-old Brazilian produced a composed and aggressive performance to secure a 6-3, 6-4 victory, extending Davidovich Fokina’s unfortunate record to 0-5 in tour-level finals.
Fonseca’s triumph carries historic weight for Brazilian tennis. He becomes the first player from Brazil to win a title above ATP 250 level since Gustavo Kuerten’s Masters 1000 victory in Cincinnati in 2001, and the third-youngest player ever to lift an ATP 500 trophy since the category’s inception in 2009.
The win in Switzerland is another milestone in Fonseca’s meteoric rise. After winning the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah last December, he announced himself on the world stage with his first Top 10 victory at the Australian Open, defeating Andrey Rublev.
He then captured his maiden ATP Tour title in Buenos Aires, becoming the youngest South American champion in the ATP Tour Era (since 1990). Following his latest success, Fonseca will rise to a career-high No. 28 in the PIF ATP Rankings, an incredible leap from his season-start position of No. 145.
The fearless teenager is quickly proving that his blend of athleticism, power, and poise under pressure could make him the next great star of Brazilian tennis.