Joao Fonseca becomes youngest match winner at French Open

Joao Fonseca continues to impress on his French Open debut, delivering a commanding straight-sets victory over Wimbledon semi-finalist Hubert Hurkacz. The unseeded Brazilian dispatched the No. 8 seed 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 in just one hour and 40 minutes, marking a career-defining win on the clay of Roland Garros.

At just 18 years and 9 months, the Rio native became the youngest player to notch a main-draw victory at the French Open since Carlos Alcaraz achieved the feat in 2021.

In a first-round clash between two heavy servers, Fonseca outplayed the 6'5" Pole in both power and precision. He fired nine aces to Hurkacz’s six and impressively converted five break point opportunities, keeping his experienced opponent constantly on the back foot.

Hurkacz, who recently reached the final of the 2025 Geneva Open and made the fourth round in Paris in both 2022 and 2024, had no answers for Fonseca’s aggressive baseline play and court coverage.

With this standout performance, Fonseca signals he’s not just one for the future—he’s a serious contender now.

Spectators packed the 1,500-seat Court No. 7 as enthusiastic Brazilian fans gathered to watch Fonseca face off against Hurkacz. The 18-year-old from Rio de Janeiro burst onto the ATP scene earlier this year, claiming his first title at the Argentina Open in February with a victory over local favorite Francisco Cerúndolo in the final.

Now, Fonseca hopes to follow in the footsteps of his countryman and tennis legend Gustavo Kuerten—the first Brazilian to win the French Open, lifting the trophy at Roland Garros in 1997. Kuerten went on to capture the coveted Coupe des Mousquetaires two more times, in 2000 and 2001.

Brazilian World No. 65 João Fonseca will face French wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the second round. Should Fonseca advance, he could set up a third-round clash with Briton Jack Draper — a rematch of their encounter at Indian Wells earlier this season.

Draper, however, has a tough challenge ahead in the second round against the evergreen Gaël Monfils. The Frenchman produced a dramatic comeback from two sets down to defeat Hugo Dellien 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-1. With the victory, Monfils celebrated his 40th career win at Roland Garros, equaling Yannick Noah for the most wins by a Frenchman at the tournament in the Open Era.

Fonseca has climbed eight spots in the ATP Live Rankings to reach No. 57 and is poised to break back into the top 60 when the official rankings are updated next week.

Cover Credits - ATP Tour