Bill Simons
His father helped launch Brazil’s first hedge fund back in 1988. But these days, the tennis world isn’t hedging its bets.
João Fonseca has arrived – almost.
The 19-year-old from the famous Ipanema section of Rio de Janeiro has youth, good looks, family wealth, charm, humility and a proper idol – Roger Federer. Add a dazzling game and the glow of Brazil behind him, and now the tennis world has a new fascination.
I was delighted to interview him on Zoom in February After all, everywhere he goes, fans flock and the media gush.
Tonight, Indian Wells broadcaster Mark Petchey observed, “He has unbelievable charisma, and a brand of tennis that’s going to encourage fans to gravitate to this great sport.” Jim Courier added, “João could be monstrous for tennis.”
In 2024, Fonseca won the Next Gen ATP Finals. In 2025, he downed Andrey Rublev, captured the Argentine Open and ATP 500 tournament in Basel, and rose to No. 42.
This year he started slowly, losing three of his first four matches. But he then won the MGM Grand exhibition in Las Vegas and downed the resurgent Tommy Paul to reach the BNP Paribas Open quarterfinals, where he unleashed his blistering forehand and held serve against the world No. 2, Jannik Sinner.
The teen impressed, but fell in two tight sets 7-6(6), 7-6(4). Still, Stadium 1 was elated. Dancing Brazilian fans, who I feel are the most raucous in the world, rocked the place. Courier summed up the samba vibe that energized the desert: “Man, is he fun to watch. Man, does he have a bright future. Man, did he scare Jannik Sinner tonight!”
And, man, I’ve long had a soft spot for Brazilians. For well over a decade it’s been a joy to work with Brazilian-American Lucia Hoffman, whose Latin pulse has brightened many a press room.
Guga Kuerten remains one of my favorite players ever. I was in Paris when he drew that famous heart in the Roland Garros clay and fell onto his back in joy. Yannick Noah once said Guga, “has this look in his eyes. There’s love there.”
Now Brazil has another player to cheer for.
From the start of my conversation with João, I was struck by his poise and generosity. He greeted me saying, “First of all, it’s a pleasure meeting you, Bill. Wow – 45 years in this crazy game…you’ve watched a lot of tennis.”
I sure have. But lately, the game’s been watching João.
Last year, Fonseca was the ATP’s breakout story – a fearless teen, swinging big, moving beautifully and carrying himself with a maturity that belies his age. One fan asked, “How did he get so graceful so early?” Comparisons came quickly, expectations soared.
Fonseca understands both.
“I think the support from the fans is super nice,” he told me. “But at the same time, that comes with big expectations. If you win a big tournament, people start comparing you with someone else. Everyone has their own time, and their own career.
“The Brazilian crowd is very spontaneous,” he said. “It’s our culture from soccer. If they see someone from Brazil doing great things, they just support them a lot. It’s an honor – and I love representing them.”
But behind the smiles and the buzz lies a quieter core.
Ask Fonseca about his greatest strength and he doesn’t say his laser forehand or his serve (tonight it was on fire, and he unleashed a 139-mph blast). Instead, without hesitation, he replies, “My maturity.”
The explanation is revealing.
“I always hung out with older people. I have two older brothers – one five years older and the other 13 years older. Since I was young, I was always around them. That gave me more maturity and responsibility.
“I started working in tennis young. It’s a job that I love. But it’s still a job, and you have to keep working every day.”
So far, the journey’s been exhilarating. The locker rooms are suddenly filled with players he once watched on TV.
“Being in the locker room with the top guys and talking with them – that’s amazing,” he said. “Traveling to new places, playing the big tournaments…In my first year I was just loving it.”
Still, he knows the grind is real. “There will be times when it’s exhausting. That’s where discipline comes in.”
His discipline comes from an unexpected place: meditation.
Fonseca has practiced breathing exercises and meditation since childhood, influenced by Brazil’s famed Gracie Jiu-Jitsu family and a mentor named Orlando Cani, who also worked with his father.
“I started doing meditation when I was young,” he said. “Now I have a routine that I do every day. It helps me stay more chill and less nervous during tournaments.”
Watch him on court and you see flashes of that calm. But you also see ambition.
Fonseca closely studies the game’s two new kings. “With Jannik and Carlos,” he said, “the mental part is really different. You see how they walk into tournaments and how brave they are in important moments.” He paused, then added: “They’re playing in another dimension.”
Still, he’s not intimidated – he’s learning.
When asked about the biggest weapons he’s faced on tour, Fonseca ticks off names with the delight of a young player discovering the realities of elite tennis.
“The best serve I’ve faced is France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard,” he said, recalling a match in Basel. “Two first serves at 220 kilometers per hour – it’s unbelievable.”
Taylor Fritz also earned respect. “I practice with Taylor sometimes. On grass, his serve is even harder to return.” As for groundstrokes, Fonseca spreads the praise around: Stefanos Tsitsipas’ forehand, Fritz’s backhand, and of course, the explosive all-court brilliance of Alcaraz and Sinner.
But when the conversation turns to tennis inspiration, the answer comes instantly.
Roger Federer.
“Well, he’s my idol,” Fonseca said with a smile. They met briefly at the Laver Cup in San Francisco in September. “I was super nervous. My hands were sweating. We talked a little bit about the tour, and he said some great things to me.”
Federer’s elegance left a deep mark. “I loved watching how simple he played. Very classy and fancy. Everything looked easy – even though it’s not.”
Like many players of his generation, Fonseca carries a bit of Federer’s aesthetic ideal with him: the idea that tennis can be both beautiful and devastating.
Ask him about his dream stage, and he’s clear.
“Wimbledon Centre Court,” he says. “I stepped on it once and it feels like another world. Every little detail – it’s amazing.”
And the championship he most wants?
“Wimbledon.”
Still, for all his dreams, Fonseca measures success in broader terms.
“I want to become No. 1 and win Grand Slams,” he confided. “But the most important thing is to know that I did everything I could.”
He paused.
“If I do everything I can, and give 100 percent, that’s a successful life.”
For now, the journey is just beginning.
Back in Rio, the beaches of Ipanema still carry the rhythms of Brazil, as the pride of their city carries the hopes of a passionate sporting nation.
And tonight in a California desert, against one of tennis’ fiercest competitors, João Fonseca discovered what every great player eventually learns. In tennis, the future arrives quickly.
And now it’s arriving in the form of a teenager from Ipanema.
