Meet the Brazilian sensation hoping to shock Draper

French Open 2025

Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros

Coverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app

Queues snake outside the courts wherever Joao Fonseca is playing - meaning only the forward planners and most patient are rewarded.

It will be the same when the 18-year-old Brazilian - who had never played a main-draw Grand Slam match until this year - meets Britain's Jack Draper in the French Open third round on Saturday.

The pair will play on Court Simonne Mathieu, the third show court where unreserved seating in the top tier will likely lead to a scramble.

Most outside of the tennis bubble have never heard of Fonseca, but the world number 65 is creating a real stir inside it.

"I think everyone can see his potential in the way he plays the game," Draper said.

"The stuff he can come out with is powerful, very dynamic and explosive - that’s what has drawn a lot of people to him. "

Fonseca had already captured the locker room's attention when he won the ATP Next Gen title - the end-of-season finals contested by players under the age of 21 - last year.

A bigger breakthrough came when he stunned eighth seed Andrey Rublev at January's Australian Open on his Grand Slam debut.

And in Melbourne, 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic revealed he was already "a fan" of Fonseca.

"He's got the goods, definitely," Djokovic said.

Less than a month later, Fonseca landed the biggest title of his career at an ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires.

However, a run of just four wins in nine ATP Tour-level matches - including a 6-4 6-0 defeat by Draper at Indian Wells - has tempered expectations.

Fonseca's biggest weapon is a ferocious forehand that leaves opponents beaten and spectators gasping with excitement.

While able to demonstrate his easy power from the baseline, he also shows signs of inexperience - continuing to hit aggressively instead of a more subtle approach.

"When I was young I always loved to hit winners, but sometimes the ball was going to the fence," Fonseca told BBC Sport.

"All the time I just wanted to hit winners. Then I started improving and being more patient.

"I was not patient when I was 13. When I was older I started understanding the time to go for the shots, but the forehand is a natural thing."

The hype is continuing to build around the youngster labelled Brazil's newest sporting superstar.

Football icons Ronaldo and Neymar have sent congratulatory messages while primetime Brazilian chat shows are desperate to have Fonseca on the sofa - an offer so far resisted by his representatives.

A carnival atmosphere led by thousands of Brazilians has followed Fonseca this year from Melbourne to Miami - and in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro.

"People were constantly yelling and following him. We had to find ways to get him through the back door of the club," Rio Open tournament director Lui Carvalho told BBC Sport.

"He could no longer do the normal route and mix with the crowd. We needed different logistics to protect him.

"We have never had so many requests from government officials and celebrities for tickets - that shows he is a kid who can change the future of the sport in Brazil."

For some young players, the attention might be overawing. But Fonseca, who comes across shy and softly-spoken in interviews, is embracing it.

"I just love it. I love to represent Brazil and carry the flag," he said.

"It is very adorable from them to keep following me. Wherever I go there are Brazilians supporting me.

"When I'm going higher in the rankings there are even more people coming."

Fonseca's rise has already led to Brazilian dreams of finally producing another Grand Slam champion.

Only two Brazilian players - Maria Bueno and Gustavo Kuerten - have won major singles titles.

Kuerten was the last Brazilian man to win a singles Grand Slam, claiming his third French Open title in 2001.

"We invest so much emotion in Fonseca because of what Gustavo did in the past - and now Joao is our hope," Brazilian Luis Gustavo told BBC Sport at the Madrid Open.

"We are trusting him to become the new number one and a Grand Slam winner. We miss Guga so much."

Unlike some of Brazil's sporting superstars, Fonseca's story is not one of humble beginnings in the Rio favelas.

Fonseca grew up in a wealthy family and started playing tennis at the Rio de Janeiro Country Club - one of Brazil's most exclusive private venues.

His father, Christiano, is a businessman who founded his own hedge fund company, while mother Roberta was a junior volleyball player who moved into sports event management.

"For me, tennis started as a hobby when I was 10 or 11," Fonseca said.

"Things got more serious when I was 12 and I changed my coach and school.

"I started practising two times every day in the pandemic. Things changed very fast."

Global sponsors began putting lucrative contracts on the table - including the On sportswear brand part-owned by Roger Federer - while leading agents offered their services.

But Fonseca's parents have decided to guide him themselves with the help of manager Gustavo Abreu, a former colleague of Christiano.

"I have a very good base with my family and the team," Fonseca added.

"They help me keep my feet on the ground and focus on my routine.

"They know what I need to do to improve my game and personality."