ATP Next Gen Finals: Fonseca Moves into the semi-finals with victory against Tien

Despite being the youngest player in the field, the 18-year-old Joao Fonseca is leaving his mark at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah.

The Brazilian earned a convincing 4-0, 4-0, 1-4, 4-2 victory against Learner Tien on Thursday, improving to 2-0 in Blue Group and securing his place in the semi-finals. Fonseca previously beat top seed and World No. 20 Arthur Fils.

“I think one of the things I most improved this year was maturity,” Fonseca said in his on-court interview. “In these big stadiums, big matches, I’ve obviously been nervous, but I think I adapted very good today. The way that I played from the beginning was really good. The third set, [Learner] played better. He started playing more solid. But I [improved my] consistency and focus and I got the win.”

Fonseca came firing out of the blocks and rarely loosened his grip, capitalising on the fast-four format used in Jeddah. The eighth seed won the first eight games of the match in under 30 minutes.

In a rematch of the 2023 US Open boys’ singles final — which Fonseca won — Tien struggled early to find his usual consistency and rhythm from the baseline. But at 2-1 in the third set, Tien broke to love and held serve the ensuing game despite facing a deciding point, another scoring feature at the 20-and-under event.

Fonseca quickly rebounded, relying on aggressive returning to help him earn a one-hour, seven-minute victory that he celebrated with a loud roar. The teenager won 69 per cent of his second-serve return points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Fonseca is the second youngest semi-finalist in event history, only one month younger than 2019 champion Jannik Sinner. Fonseca will play Jakub Mensik on Friday to close round-robin action. Mensik is looking for his first win in Jeddah.

Currently at No. 145 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Fonseca began the season at No. 730. At his home tournament in Rio de Janeiro in February, Fonseca became the second youngest ATP 500 quarter-finalist since the series began in 2009.

Fonseca then turned pro and has continued his rapid rise ever since. He became the youngest Brazilian to win an ATP Challenger Tour title in August, lifting the trophy in Lexington, Kentucky.