Tennis

Teenager Joao Fonseca Is Crowned Argentina Open Champion

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By
wendioliveros
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wendioliveros Sports Editor

Wendi Oliveros is a diehard tennis fan that is known to set her clock at ridiculous hours to watch live action especially during the Australian Open. She is known for indulging in strawberries and cream during Wimbledon and has watched the US Open live several times.

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Sports Editor

Published16 Feb 2025

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Joao Fonseca

In his first ATP Tour final, 18-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca won the Argentina Open. Fonseca took out the Argentinian #1 seed, Francisco Cerundolo.

Cerundolo was vying to become the seventh Argentinian to win this title.  He is the 28th-ranked player in the world, and he defeated World No. 2 Alexander Zverev earlier in the quarterfinals.  Cerundolo had the pressure on his shoulders; whereas, the free-hitting Fonseca showed his usual grit and amazing shot selection.

Fonseca is the 10th youngest ATP champion in the tour’s history (recordkeeping began in 1990). He had massive fan support in Buenos Aires but was not the fan-favorite in the final as Cerundolo hails from Buenos Aires.

Since December, Fonseca has been amazing.  He won the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals.  In the Australian Open last month, he defeated Andrey Rublev.

Joao Fonseca Joins An Elite Group Of Past Argentina Open Champions

David Ferrer, Rafael Nadal, Casper Ruud, Dominic Thiem, and Carlos Alcaraz are some of the previous champions of this clay court event.  These players have either won or finished as a Grand Slam finalist.

Fonseca is currently World No. 99, but that ranking is on its way up.  With the win, he jumps 31 spots to 68th in the live rankings.  That is an unbelievably quick rise for a player who early last year was considering an offer to play college tennis at the University of Virginia.  By all accounts, the decision to turn pro was the right one.

He possesses a tennis IQ, maturity, and game well beyond his years.

Andy Murray expressed a sentiment among tennis fans after watching Fonseca this week.  He cannot wait to see Fonseca play Alcaraz for the first time.