Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca has named his biggest sporting idol and also picked between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer as he revealed who he thinks is the greatest tennis player of all time.
The world No 70, who is the youngest player and only 18-year-old in the top 100 of the ATP Rankings, is one of the most exciting talents to emerge in tennis in recent memory.
Fonseca won his maiden ATP title at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires this month as he impressively overcame four Argentine players in his five matches.
The Brazilian ended 2024 by winning all five of his matches to triumph at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah.
He carried his form into this year by winning the Canberra Challenger without losing a set and then qualified for the Australian Open in dominant fashion.
The teenage star delivered a stunning display to beat Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the first round in Melbourne in what was his Grand Slam main draw debut.
Fonseca is sponsored by the Swiss sportswear brand On, in which Swiss icon Federer is a shareholder.
Djokovic holds the all-time men’s Grand Slam title record with 24, while Federer occupies third spot with 20 majors.
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In an interview with Brazilian outlet Globo, Fonseca divulged that Federer is his idol and that he believes the Swiss to be the tennis ‘GOAT’.
“Federer. There’s no way to change that,” he said.
“People can say that Djokovic is the greatest of all time, but for me there’s no way. Djokovic may be the best of all time, but Federer is the greatest. Unmatched.”
Asked what he considers his greatest strength, Fonseca said: “Technically, it’s definitely my forehand.
“But I think that apart from that, it’s definitely my maturity, in realising important parts of the game, that important moment when I have to play in a certain way, a point where I have to be more courageous.
“This part of maturing on the court, when I have to have posture, is the part where I’m best. Showing that I’m strong when I’m tired, this mental part is one of my best weapons.”
On what has he improved the most from last season, he added: “I’m much faster, much more resilient.
“I would say that my serve has also improved, my first serve in particular, which is something I used to fail at a lot, and now I’m more consistent.
“And my consistency in general, I’m more solid. Before, I was a kid who hit really hard, but also made a lot of mistakes. Now I’m combining strength, power, with consistency.
“I’m being more consistent, making better movements, so I believe that physique and consistency are the things I’ve improved the most.”
The Brazilian also addressed the praise he has received from stars including Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
“I think these are things that come naturally, because I have done cool things for tennis,” said Fonseca.
“These are things that only give you more fuel to go further, ‘Wow, Alcaraz talked about me, Djokovic talked about me’.
“Man, I really am on the right path, I can do cool things, it is gratifying to hear these comments from such great people in our sport.”
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