João Fonseca knows exactly where he stands in the tennis hierarchy after going head-to-head with the sport’s biggest stars, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. While the Brazilian did not leave the Sunshine Double with a trophy, he gained valuable firsthand experience of testing himself against the best.
Fonseca took Sinner to back-to-back tiebreaks in the fourth round of the Indian Wells Masters, with the world No. 2 escaping the thriller with a 7-6(6), 7-6(4) victory. Subsequently, he battled Alcaraz in the Miami Open second round but failed to put up as much of a challenge, as the Spaniard cruised to a 6-4, 6-4 win.
João Fonseca Admits He Is ‘Still Not Close’ to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
João Fonseca has arrived at the 2026 Monte-Carlo Masters with the aim of winning his maiden ATP Masters 1000 event. However, the Brazilian is under no delusions about his level, admitting that he’s “still not close to” Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner and that bridging that gap will require a lot of hard work.
“I played against both and they were good matches, but I’m still not close to them. I hope to be soon. I’d say they were tight matches, but they play at that level in every match and I need to be more consistent. I need to work harder,” João Fonseca said in his pre-tournament press conference.
With the tennis world clamoring for a third superstar to join Alcaraz and Sinner and form a new “Big 3,” much of that spotlight has turned toward Fonseca. Despite this, the 19-year-old is determined to carve out his own path, urging patience and reminding fans that meeting such high expectations will take time.
“Everyone has their moment. Mine will come. I’m on the right path. I’m doing really well, so I’ll keep up this routine, with this mentality of working hard and quietly, but yes, I think the expectations will come,” he added.
“People see young players doing big things and they already put us at the top of the ranking. I want to make my own story. I hope to be there competing against them, but people have to understand that I need time to become what they want me to be and what I want to be.”
MORE: Patrick Mouratoglou Justifies Joao Fonseca’s Verdict on Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz
While Fonseca expressed his desire to reach the top spot in the rankings, he acknowledged that he needed to “stay humble” as the dream was not yet achievable.
“I want to be number one, but I know I need time. I’m still at position 40 in the world ranking, so I have to be humble and understand that. Yes, I think, with a bit of luck, a bright future awaits me,” he said.
João Fonseca has made a strong start to his campaign at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Monaco, beating Gabriel Diallo 6-2, 6-3. He will lock horns with Arthur Rinderknech in the second round. If he emerges victorious, the 19-year-old could meet Daniil Medvedev in the third round, with a potential quarterfinal clash with No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev on the cards.
