Joao Fonseca has made history at the Argentina Open, becoming the youngest ATP clay court finalist since Carlos Alcaraz in 2021.
The 18-year-old Brazilian overcame Serbia’s Laslo Djere in a hard-fought semi-final, winning 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-1 to reach his first ATP Tour final.
Fonseca is also the youngest South American to reach an ATP Tour final since former world No. 20 José Acasuso in 2001. He will now face home favourite and fifth seed Francisco Cerúndolo, who eased past Spain’s Pedro Martínez 6-2, 6-4 in one hour and 33 minutes.
At just 18 years, five months and 26 days, Fonseca is the 10th youngest ATP Tour finalist since 2000 and the youngest Brazilian to reach an ATP final in the Open Era, according to ATP.
The teenager entered the tournament via the Next Gen Accelerator programme, which grants young players ranked in the top 250 direct entry into select ATP 250 events.
The scheme was expanded this year to allow greater opportunities for rising stars, and Fonseca has made the most of it.
Facing Djere, the young Brazilian displayed a fearless brand of tennis, unleashing 27 forehand winners and 11 from his backhand. He had six break points in the first set but failed to convert, eventually forcing a tiebreak.
Holding his nerve, Fonseca delivered a stunning inside-in forehand at 3/1 to take control of the set.
Djere, a seasoned clay-court player and former ATP 500 champion, fought back in the second set. Despite pushing his opponent to the limit, the Serbian was unable to stop Fonseca’s surge in the decider.
The teenager dominated the final set, breaking twice and sealing victory in just under three hours.
“Today was really difficult, against a really good player.
He came through the qualifiers, so he’s been playing amazing tennis,” Fonseca said after the match. “We already knew how Laslo can play. He’s won an ATP 500 before, so I played my best. Today was with my heart. Today was with pain. And we got through. There’s one match to go, so let’s go for it.”
With this victory, Fonseca has climbed 25 places to No. 74 in the ATP Live Rankings, securing a new career-high when the rankings are updated on Monday.
The final against Cerúndolo presents another major challenge for Fonseca.
The Argentine, ranked world No. 22, has already won two ATP titles on clay and will have the home crowd firmly behind him. However, Fonseca’s fearless play and rapid rise suggest he will not be an easy opponent.
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