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João Fonseca emerged victorious at the Next Gen Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, defeating American Learner Tien 2-4, 4-3(8), 4-0, 4-2 in the final. The 18-year-old Brazilian, ranked No. 145 in the world, became the second-youngest winner in the tournament’s history, trailing only Jannik Sinner, who won at 18 years and 2 months. Fonseca stole the spotlight in Jeddah, even with tennis legend Rafael Nadal in attendance.
Fonseca defeated Tien, the tournament’s surprise package, for the second time in the event. In the group stage, the Brazilian had also bested Tien, albeit with a closer 3-1 scoreline (0-4, 0-4, 4-1, 2-4). The young star completed a flawless run through the tournament, winning all three of his Group A matches against Frenchman Arthur Fils, Czech player Jakub Mensik, and Tien.
In the semifinals, Fonseca cruised past France’s Luca Van Assche with a commanding 3-0 victory (4-2, 4-2, 4-1). Dominating the tournament, Fonseca not only secured the title but also pocketed over $500,000 in prize money for his unbeaten five-match run. Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, the 2006-born Fonseca, ranked 145th, achieved the feat despite having the lowest ranking among all competitors in the event.
The inaugural edition of the Next Gen Finals in 2017 was won by South Korea’s Hyeon Chung, then ranked No. 54. Subsequent winners included Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2018 (No. 15), Jannik Sinner in 2019 (No. 95), Carlos Alcaraz in 2021 (No. 32), Brandon Nakashima in 2022 (No. 49), and Hamad Medjedovic in 2023 (No. 110).
Fonseca had previously made his Davis Cup debut in Bologna, where he impressed by defeating Botic van de Zandschulp.
