Joao Fonseca has been enjoying a breakthrough 2025 season (Image: Getty)
is set to continue his breakthrough season at Indian Wells next week.
Aged just 18, the Brazilian has already cemented himself as one of the tour’s brightest prospects and become a draw for fans.
But just a few months ago, Fonseca found himself in an awkward spot while competing at the ATP Challenger in Nottingham in front of a much smaller crowd.
Last summer, Fonseca entered the ATP Challenger event in Nottingham to get some experience on the grass. Aged 17 at the time, he beat No. 6 seed Damir Dzumhur in his opening match.
But there was carnage when the tournament was hit by hours of rain delays. The Nottingham Open is also a WTA 250 event and the women’s matches were given priority on the outside grass courts over the men’s matches because of their lower Challenger-level status.
Fonseca already found himself in a tough spot as he faced Britain’s Billy Harris in round two, and the crowd would be pulling for his opponent.
The match faced interruptions due to the rain, and after starting on the grass court, Fonseca and Harris had to finish their match on an indoor hard court.
Joao Fonseca won his maiden title at the Argentina Open (Image: Getty)
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The Brazilian went on to lose in three sets, but he showed his class during the tournament despite being a relatively unknown, new player on the tour.
, who was the tournament director at the time, has now shared her first encounter with Fonseca in Nottingham last year.
Aged just 17 at the time, Fonseca made an impression on the retired British player.
“I first saw him play in person [when tournament director] at Nottingham last year,” Robson wrote in her column.
“He ended up losing to Billy Harris in a match that started on grass and finished indoors… We ended up having to move them as it was the only second round that hadn’t finished yet due to horrific British weather.
“After what was a tough day for him he still came and said thank you to everyone that worked for the tournament.
“He’s got a really good head on his shoulders, and you want to see someone like that do well. So since last summer, I’ve been a big fan, and have been hoping to see that breakthrough.”
Robson is also hoping to see Fonseca build on his recent form in Indian Wells.
Over the last few months, the teenager has won the Next Gen Finals, lifted the Canberra Challenger trophy, qualified for his first Grand Slam main draw at the , Andrey Rublev, and
“It was just an amazing week for him to get his first ATP title in Argentina this month, and hopefully he can build on that momentum going forward,” the Brit wrote.