Joao Fonseca just won the biggest title of his career at the 2025 Swiss Indoors in Basel. But the 19-year-old Brazilian wasn’t too thrilled when his opponent compared him to Novak Djokovic.
Fonseca became an ATP 500 champion for the first time after beating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final.
It’s his second title overall. He won his first back in February at the Argentina Open, but that was on clay courts outdoors. This one was pretty different – indoors on hard courts.
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For Davidovich Fokina, it was another heartbreaking loss. The Spaniard has now lost all five of his ATP finals. He came close at the Citi Open earlier this year, even having match points against Alex de Minaur, but couldn’t get it done.
Despite the tough moment, Davidovich Fokina was really classy during the trophy ceremony.
He congratulated Fonseca and made a bold prediction – that the teenager would be the next Novak Djokovic in the coming years.
Those words got a lot of attention. Sure, Fonseca’s talented, but comparing anyone to a 24-time Grand Slam champion is pretty huge. Djokovic is statistically the most successful player in tennis history.
When the ATP asked Fonseca about the comparison, he was diplomatic but honest. He appreciated the kind words but wants to write his own story.
“I am not a fan of these comparisons. Everyone has their own history… I think it’s a pleasure hearing those kind words for him. Great guy, great friend, great fighter…I’m trying my best, but we all know that Jannik [Sinner] and Carlos [Alcaraz] are playing next-level tennis. So all the other players from the tour, we are working harder & harder to keep going with them.”
Smart response from the Brazilian. Instead of getting caught up in the hype, he’s staying grounded and focusing on his own journey.
He’s also being realistic about where he stands right now. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are playing at a completely different level.
If Fonseca wins a Grand Slam someday, then maybe we can start talking about Djokovic comparisons. But even then, it might be too early. The kid’s got years and years to develop his game.
Fonseca will want to challenge Alcaraz and Sinner’s dominance
Alcaraz and Sinner have split the eight Grand Slams since 2024 began. That’s pretty incredible dominance from two guys who are still so young.
Even a 38-year-old Djokovic, when he’s healthy and playing his best tennis, has been the third-best player during that stretch. That’s got to be frustrating for everyone else.
Alexander Zverev is ranked No. 3 in the world right now. He pushed Sinner close at last week’s Vienna Open, showing he can compete with the best.
But Zverev has this mental block in big Grand Slam matches. He’s got to make some serious changes if he wants to finally win a major.
A couple years ago, people thought Sinner, Alcaraz, and Holger Rune might be the new Big 3. Unfortunately for the Danish player, that didn’t pan out.
Now he’s facing a long time on the sidelines after suffering a really bad Achilles injury at the Stockholm Open.
Fonseca is still way behind Alcaraz and Sinner in terms of results and ranking. But you can see the talent is there. With more hard work over the next few years, he could be the guy who rises up and starts challenging these two.
The question is whether he can put in the work and handle the pressure that comes with being considered the "next big thing."
