New names are announcing themselves on the biggest stage at the Australian Open this season and the sight only gets better. Joao Fonseca, a young gun from Brazil, stunned the Melbourne crowd after delivering one of the biggest upsets in his nascent professional career in the sport. Later, he echoed a popular quote from Swiss Roger Federer having worn his co-funded ‘On Running’ apparel at Margaret Court Arena.

The 18-year-old arrived in Melbourne fresh off his title finish in a Challenger event in Canberra this year, which came days after he lifted the Next Gen ATP Finals in December. For his opening round act at the ‘Happy Slam’, Fonseca locked horns with Russian Andrey Rublev and when many anticipated the results wouldn’t fall in his favor, the former reversed those predictions. He denied the ninth seed, 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-6(5), to earn glory in his major main draw debut.

With his talent receiving quick recognition, the Brazilian player associated himself with legendary Federer, the ‘Swiss Maestro’ who holds a laudable 20 Grand Slam singles titles. After passing up on the veteran’s offer to play as an alternate and hitting partner for John McEnroe’s team at the 2024 Laver Cup, Fonseca couldn’t deny the Swiss icon when a sponsor offer from his ‘On Running’ sporting label knocked on the door.

After donning the Iga Swiatek and Ben Shelton apparel sponsor during his opening-round showcase at Melbourne Park, Fonseca referred to a famous anecdote from Federer during his on-court interview. When the interviewer asked him how much money would buy a talent like his from Brazil, the young talent replied saying: “It’s a little bit unfair (the question). Like Roger said, ‘Talent is not enough’. I put a lot of hard work, just me and my team know that.”

Following an impressive showcase of effortless power and valiant strength against the Russian superstar, Fonseca reserved a few words to address his match performance.

Joao Fonseca praises supportive crowd following Melbourne crowd

Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca and his fiesty athleticism were nothing short of commendable when he stepped on the Margaret Court Arena on Tuesday, January 14. Following his impressive showing, the 18-year-old ran short of words to express his happiness about winning the opener of his main draw in Melbourne. For the uninitiated, he advanced through the qualifiers without dropping a set.

During an on-court interview, Fonseca told the locals: “I just enjoyed every moment on this amazing court, it’s my first time playing in a huge stadium. I want to thank this amazing crowd. There are some Brazilians here… a lot of Brazilians here cheering for me! I was trying to not put pressure on myself, playing with a Top 10 guy in a huge stadium. [I was] trying to call the crowd to help me. I just enjoyed playing my game. That’s one thing about myself, is that I play better in the important points, I go for my shots. That was the difference today.”

Next up, Fonseca will square off against Italian star Lorenzo Sonego for a place in the event’s third round on Thursday, January 16. Are you backing the youngster to pull off a few more upsets in the tournament? Let us know in the comments below.