Joao Fonseca had the perfect response when he was put on the spot after making a statement debut at the Australian Open. The 18-year-old stormed through qualifying to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. And he announced himself by beating world No. 9 Andrey Rublev in his opening match.

Joao Fonseca, an 18-year-old tennis sensation from Brazil, stunned world No. 9 Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open and credited Roger Federer’s advice for shaping his grounded approach amid rising fame.

Fonseca was part of the 2024 lineup alongside Fils and Luca Van Assche of France; Michelsen, eventual finalist Learner Tien and Nishesh Basavareddy of the U.S.; Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic and Shang Juncheng of China, who also goes by his Americanized name, Jerry Shang.

The Australian Open, one of tennis’ grandest stages, often serves as the launch pad for future stars. Though Joao Fonseca, a promising young talent, bowed out early in this year’s tournament, his performance and potential have sparked significant interest among fans and analysts alike.

Joao Fonseca’s incredible win against Andrey Rublev in the first round of the Australian Open 2025 has earned him over half a million Instagram followers.

Joao Fonseca is the talk of tennis after his incredible win against Andrey Rublev on his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open – and it has edged him towards one of the first big rankings targets of his career.

Joao Fonseca definitively introduced himself to the world as the latest teen sensation in men’s tennis, upsetting No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev in the first round of the Australian Open.