JEDDAH/WASHINGTON, December 23, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)
The road to Jeddah ended in undefeated glory for Brazil’s Joao Fonseca.
On Sunday evening at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the ATP Tour crowned its newest star. The talented, 18-year-old Brazilian from Rio de Janeiro completed a clean slate of five straight victories against the tour’s best 20-and-under competition and won the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF title. The N0. 8 seed Fonseca capped his best week as a young professional by defeating No. 5 seed Learner Tien of the United States, 2-4, 4-3 (8), 4-0, 4-2, in the championship match, which lasted 87 minutes. Watching from the stands was former World No. 1 and 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal.
The moment Joao Fonseca announced himself as NEXT
The edges past Tien 2-4 4-3(8) 4-0 4-2 to secure the biggest title of his career #NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/Zc3VNiZGvg
— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 22, 2024
Not too many years ago, Fonseca was the one who was chasing autographs of his favorite tennis stars. Now, after winning the biggest title of his budding career, he’s the one signing autographs for his fans.
Say hello to your champ #NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/2LpUnUZWhy
— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 22, 2024
Fonseca, who began the year ranked 730th, jumped 585 sports to No. 145 by the end of the season. He became the second-youngest champion in the history of the event, behind 2019 champion Jannik Sinner of Italy. As a bonus, by going undefeated (5-0) – with wins against Arthur Fils, Tien and Jakub Mensik in group play; Luca Van Assche in the semifinals; and Tien, again, in the title match – Fonseca earned a tournament-record $526,480 in prize money.
During an on-court interview before he received the champion’s trophy, Fonseca said: “I was really nervous before the match. I knew it was going to be so difficult.
“I played a final against Learner in juniors,” he added. Fonseca previously defeated Tien for the boys’ junior singles title at the 2023 US Open.
“I know the way he can play. He is such a nice guy and a great player, so I knew it was going to be difficult – mentally and physically. But I got my way through.”
The road to Jeddah ends in glory
Joao Fonseca goes undefeated to win the #NextGenATP Finals! pic.twitter.com/S1WnjFIwg2
— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 22, 2024
After the 122nd-ranked Tien won the opening set, Fonseca nearly let the second set slip away. However, he overcame a set point Tien held at 8-7 in the tie-break and won it 10-8. In the final two sets, Fonseca rallied behind his serve and came back strong. By the end, he won 83 percent of his first-serve points and backed it up with a 68-percent efficiency in winning points on his second serve. Fonseca finished with eight aces and 19 winners, saved two of three break points and converted three of nine opportunities. He outpointed Tien 78-57.
“Honestly, I don’t know how I did it in the second set,” Fonseca recalled. “I was just trying to keep my game strong on serve. I was not playing my best in the beginning. I was too nervous. But after the second set, I think the third set was another Joao. I was much more aggressive going for the shots and he got a little bit tighter. In the fourth set I just did my best and got the win.”
Great to have @RafaelNadal and ATP Chairman, Andrea Gaudenzi, supporting the next generation of tennis stars at the #NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/0twwxilPVe
— Next Gen ATP Finals (@nextgenfinals) December 22, 2024
Although time will tell if 2025 becomes Fonseca’s breakthrough season, finishing 2024 on a big high – five consecutive victories to finish with 12 tour-level triumphs – gives him something positive to build upon. During his week in Jeddah, Fonseca recorded a pair of gutsy five-set wins against Top-50 opponents, Fils and Mensik.
“I need to believe when I go to a tournament that I can win,” Fonseca admitted. “But now I have won it, I am thinking: ‘Wow, I made it.’ I am very proud of myself.”
The future is bright @RafaelNadal Joao Fonseca #NextGenATPFinals pic.twitter.com/cBgFRVbSwh
— ATP Tour (@atptour) December 22, 2024
By the numbers
• Joao Fonseca is the third 18-year-old player to win the Next Gen ATP Finals in the seven editions of the event, after current World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who won the title in 2019 and current World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, who won the 2021 title.
• After starting the year as World No. 730, Joao Fonseca jumped 585 spots to No. 145 by the end of the season. He becomes the lowest-ranked Next Gen ATP Finals champion in tournament history.
“Quotable …”
“When you are going to a tournament you always have to believe. My goal was to enjoy it here, I was the last to qualify. I just enjoyed and I love to play in these big stadiums.”
– Joao Fonseca of Brazil, on his run to the Next Gen ATP Finals title match, as quoted by the ATP Tour website.