Brazilian youngster João Fonseca overcame Fábián Marozsán in the opening round of the Miami Open to set up a maiden clash against world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. Ahead of what many view as a blockbuster second-round encounter, the Brazilian spoke candidly about facing Alcaraz.
What João Fonseca Thinks About Facing Carlos Alcaraz at the Miami Open
Fonseca had to withstand a stern challenge to secure his place in the second round. Although the 19-year-old won the first set 6-4, Marozsán seized control in the second as Fonseca’s intensity dipped, briefly shifting momentum inside Hard Rock Stadium.
The contest turned early in the decider when a series of unforced errors from the Hungarian handed Fonseca a crucial break. Backed by the Brazilian crowd, the youngster regained control and closed out the match 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in one hour and 52 minutes.
Fonseca’s showdown with the seven-time Grand Slam champion comes soon after his first tour-level test against Jannik Sinner. The Brazilian, who reached the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open for the first time, pushed Sinner to consecutive tie-break sets and underlined his potential despite the defeat.
It now remains to be seen how the world No. 39 measures up against Alcaraz. Speaking after his opening-round win, Fonseca expressed excitement about the challenge, emphasizing his eagerness to test himself against the best, much as he did against Sinner. He also voiced hope of winning the contest.
“Excited for sure,” he said in his post-match on-court interview. “I don’t know the other players, but me, I look forward to playing against the top players.
“I played last tournament against Jannik. Now playing against Carlos. Just a super experience. So, looking forward to it for sure. It is gonna be a great match and hopefully I can get the win.”
“Excited for sure. I don’t know the other players but me, I look forward to playing against the top players. I played last tournament against Jannik. Now playing against Carlos. Just a super experience.”
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— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) March 19, 2026
Elaborating further in his press conference, Fonseca said: “For me as a teenager in the second year tour, facing those guys is just important for my development. I wanted to face them to see my level, where I can go, what those guys do that the other players don’t, how they deal with pressure.”
Fonseca also shared his mindset ahead of the match against Alcaraz: “I need to face him the way Jannik faces him. Of course, I respect him — the player that he is; the person that he is, but on court, I can’t. On court, I need to face him as me as a guy that I can beat him. I need to enter the court with a lot of intensity and trying to play my best tennis.”
Since Alcaraz entered the tournament as a top seed, he received a direct entry into the second round and now awaits Fonseca. The winner will advance to the third round to face either Sebastian Korda or Camilo Ugo Carabelli.
Alcaraz has maintained a 16-1 record in 2026 and was on a 16-match winning streak before his semifinal defeat to Daniil Medvedev at Indian Wells. His form makes him the clear favorite against Fonseca, with PFSN’s Tennis Simulator giving him 86% odds of winning.
