Joao Fonseca has pulled out of December’s Next Gen ATP Finals due to injury, dealing a blow to what was shaping up to be an exciting tournament in Saudi Arabia.
The Brazilian teenager won the event last year and was set to be the No. 2 seed behind Jakub Mensik when the tournament kicks off from December 17th to 21st in Jeddah.
But fans won’t get to see the defending champion in action.
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The tournament announced on social media that Fonseca’s still recovering from an injury he picked up at the end of this season. They didn’t reveal exactly what’s wrong with him, though.
“Joao Fonseca has withdrawn from the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF as he continues to recover from an injury sustained at the end of the 2025 ATP season. We wish Joao the best in his recovery and in his preparations for the 2026 ATP Tour season.”
The injury wasn’t officially confirmed until now, but tennis fans started getting suspicious when Fonseca pulled out of the Athens Open. That withdrawal effectively ended his season after the Paris Masters.
It’s a real shame for the Next Gen Finals, which has become pretty popular since it started in 2017. The event showcases the best players aged 20 or younger, and it’s given fans some amazing matches over the years.
Some pretty big names have won this thing before. Carlos Alcaraz took the title in 2021, and Jannik Sinner won it back in 2019. Both of those guys have gone on to become Grand Slam champions and world No. 1s.
Saudi Arabia’s Growing Tennis Influence
This year’s tournament in Jeddah represents Saudi Arabia’s expanding role in tennis. The country’s hosting more and more high-profile events, including a new Masters 1000 tournament that’s coming in 2028 at the earliest.
The Next Gen Finals moved to Saudi Arabia last year after being held in Milan for several years. It’s become one of the crown jewels of their tennis calendar.
Fonseca’s Breakthrough Season
2025 has been absolutely huge for Fonseca. At 19, he’s shown he can compete with anyone on the ATP Tour.
The Brazilian won his first ATP title at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires, which was pretty amazing to watch. He followed that up with an even bigger win at the Swiss Indoors in Basel just last month.
That Basel victory was really something special. Fonseca beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final, and his opponent was so impressed he compared the Brazilian to Novak Djokovic.
Fonseca wasn’t too keen on that comparison, though.
The tournament also featured some drama when Denis Shapovalov suddenly retired during their quarterfinal match. The Canadian was down 1-4 and a double break in the deciding set when he just shook hands and walked off court. Pretty bizarre stuff.
Many people think Fonseca could make a serious run at a Grand Slam next year if he stays healthy. The teenager’s got all the tools to compete with the best players in the world.
Hopefully this injury isn’t too serious and he’ll be ready for the 2026 Australian Open. At just 19, he’s already achieved more than most players do in their entire careers.
The Next Gen Finals will definitely miss having its defending champion there, but it should still be a great showcase for tennis’s future stars.
