Surprise, Surprise, Joao Fonseca stuns Andrey Rublev in the first round of the 2025 Australian Open. The 18-year-old Brazilian tennis player defeated the world number 9 by 7-6(1),6-3,7-6(5) in this epic encounter. Rublev had previously reached the QF of the Australian Open thrice in his career (2021,2023 and 2024). So, this result was like a bolt from the blue for not only the fans but also for the tennis experts! Coco Gauff‘s former coach, Brad Gilbert was spotted heaping praise on the Brazilian during the course of the match. What did he say, though?

In one of his recent tweets, Gilbert wrote, “really Like what i’m seeing from Fonseca such easy power off both sides and sneaky 😈 good serv definitely 💯 need to work on nickname asap.” Then in another one, the renowned tennis coach stated, “That’s 21sets now on trot for Fonseca impressive what he is doing to Rubles.” The 63-year-old tennis coach was clearly seen enjoying every bit of the show put on by this youngster at the Margaret Court Arena!

Talking about the match, from the very set Joao Fonseca looked quite confident and it was clear that the young Brazilian was ready to showcase all the skills that make him a player destined for great success in the near future. His stunning baseline exchanges, incredible serves and an unusual ease in changing rhythms and directions with his backhand always kept Andrey Rublev on his toes in this match.

Without a doubt, this is now one of the biggest upsets of the 2025 AO, but at the same time, the tennis world perhaps has just witnessed the birth of a new star in Melbourne. However, another tennis legend, Andy Roddick had already made some big predictions ahead of this enticing encounter.

Just before the start of this tournament, Andy Roddick was seen heaping praise on the young Brazilian. While speaking on this particular match, Roddick said, “I’m a big fan of Rublev, who is a very strong player and a very good guy. However, Fonseca’s name is increasingly in vogue and everyone is talking about it. I think he will become one of the top favorites to win Grand Slam tournaments within the next 2-3 years.” Now, after seeing his incredible performance against Rublev, Joao Fonseca has truly become one of the biggest challengers in this tournament. What did he say after the match, though?

“Enjoyed every moment” – Joao Fonseca gives his first reaction after winning the battle against Andrey Rublev

This is the first time that Andrey Rublev has lost in the first round of the Australian Open since 2019. After Grigor Dimitrov, he has now become the second Top 10 player to exit from this year’s event. On the other hand, Joao Fonseca has become the second player of the Open Era to defeat a Top-10 player in their first appearance in a Grand Slam.

High in confidence and with hype growing, Joao Fonseca showed everyone what he is capable of in the bigger stages of the game. After wrapping up the match against Rublev in straight sets, Fonseca shared his thoughts on the match. He said, “I just enjoyed every moment on this amazing court, it’s my first time playing in a huge stadium.” He then thanked the crowd for their incredible support and added, “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.”

Joao Fonseca entered this tournament following his triumphs at the Next Gen ATP Finals and the Challenger Canberra, AU. Next up for him in the second round of the 2025 AO is Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego. How far do you think this huge Roger Federer fan can go at the ‘Melbourne Slam’?