MIAMI: Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca said he was relishing the chance to face Carlos Alcaraz for the first time after booking a second-round meeting with the world number one at the Miami Open.
The 19-year-old beat Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 6-4 3-6 6-2 on Thursday to set up the clash, a week after pushing world number two Jannik Sinner in a tight fourth-round loss at Indian Wells.
Fonseca, who announced himself by winning the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals, said matches against the sport’s leading players were exactly the kind of test he wanted.
“I’m excited for sure,” Fonseca told reporters. “I don’t know about other players, but I look forward to playing against the top players.
“I played against Jannik last tournament, and now I’m playing against Carlos. It’s a super experience, so I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great match. Hopefully I can get the win.”
Fonseca lost 7-6(6) 7-6(4) to Sinner in California, a performance that further underlined his rapid rise.
Backed by a noisy following in Miami, Fonseca said the atmosphere had helped him through his opener against Marozsan.
“The crowd really helped me to stay positive throughout the match,” he said. “I’m very happy with this win and hopefully I can continue playing like this during the tournament.”
