Joao Fonseca wins in Basel: first ATP 500 final at 19!

Joao Fonseca wins in Basel: first ATP 500 final at 19!

An exciting sports weekend in Basel ended with a great success for the young Brazilian tennis star Joao Fonseca. On October 26, 2025, the 19-year-old triumphed in the final of the Swiss Indoors, defeating the Spanish player Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ATP 18) 6:3 and 6:4. This victory is not only his first title at an ATP 500 tournament, but also the biggest title by a Brazilian man since Gustavo Kuerten in 2001, who competed at the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati Tennis.com reported.

The final was played in front of a sold-out crowd in the St. Jakobshalle, where Fonseca surprised his opponents with an impressive performance. What was particularly noticeable was his dominant forehand, which gave him a total of 39 winners, including some spectacular return winners. Over the course of the tournament, the Brazilian benefited from a number of favorable circumstances, such as Jakub Mensik's withdrawal in the round of 16 and Denis Shapovalov's withdrawal in the third set of the quarter-finals.

Tennis sensation

With this triumph, Fonseca not only earned a place in the hearts of tennis fans, but also improved his ATP ranking from 46 to a projected 28. With this exciting tournament victory, he has established himself as one of the most promising players of the next generation, becoming the third teenager to reach a Swiss Indoors final after the legendary Roger Federer (2000) and the up-and-coming Holger Rune (2022). As Verlagshaus Jaumann reports, his career shows that he has a good one Has a knack for big matches.

His path to the final was not easy. In the semi-final, Fonseca beat Jaume Munar and used his strong forehand, while Davidovich Fokina benefited from Ugo Humbert, who had to retire due to back problems, in the semi-final. Despite these circumstances, Fonseca managed to build pressure early in the final and broke Davidovich Fokina in both sets.

The Brazilian tennis legend

Joao Fonseca's successes bring back memories of the glory days of Brazilian tennis legend Gustavo Kuerten, who revolutionized the world of tennis in the late 90s and early 2000s. Brazil has produced a number of talented tennis players who have made their mark on tennis over the years, including greats like Marcos Daniel and Carlos Kirmayr, as a recent list on Ranker impressively shows.

With his victory in Basel, Joao Fonseca not only achieved a personal goal, but also rekindled the hopes and dreams of an entire nation. The coming years will show whether he can carry on the legacy of the Brazilian tennis legends. Let's stay tuned for his next steps on the ATP tour!