Armed with new coach, Joao Fonseca fends off Learner Tien, and illness, in tricky Miami opener

MIAMI, USA — Joao Fonseca knew there were a lot of Brazilians in South Florida.

He just didn’t think that so many of them were going to show up to the Miami Open on Thursday, passionately cheering him on late into the evening during his electrifying tournament debut.

After needing two hours and 25 minutes—and every ounce of those fans’ energy—to close out Learner Tien 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-4, Fonseca wrote a message on the camera lens: “Am I in Brazil?”

PHOTOS: Joao Fonseca gives his fans a Miami debut to remember in edging out Learner Tien

“I mean, like 80 percent of the stadium were Brazilian, and if not, it felt like it…. I was really feeling at home!” the 18-year-old said afterward with a grin.

“I’m very grateful to the Brazilian crowd for coming here and cheering my name, being loud. It really means a lot, and it helped me a lot during this match.”

Fonseca was facing a familiar foe in 19-year-old Tien—“a great guy, and a very solid, smart player,” according to the Brazilian, and the same opponent he defeated twice at the Next Gen ATP Finals last December. The pair’s growing rivalry dates back even further, with Fonseca defeating Tien in the 2023 US Open boys final, avenging his defeat to Tien in their Roland Garros quarterfinal clash earlier that year.

In Miami, their first ATP-level meeting, Tien drew first blood as the first set got away from Fonseca in a disappointing tiebreak, winning only one point. Fonseca rallied in the second set, and was leading by a break in the third when things got tricky, as he suddenly took a medical timeout at 3-2 due to illness.

“When I was walking over to serve, I felt very bad. Even Mohamed (Lahyani) the umpire said, ‘Oh man, you’re (pale),’” Fonseca described. “He told me, ‘Do I need to call the doctor?' and I told him it feels like I’m going to throw up.”

Fans decked out in bright yellow national team shirts and Brazilian flags cheered him all the way—even giving the teenager a round of applause when he merely appeared on the big screens inside Hard Rock Stadium in the third set, eyes closed and fighting nausea but looking determined to close out the victory.

After giving fans in Miami a debut to remember, the teenager from Rio de Janeiro sounded determined to keep learning and improving. Having closed out the 2024 season with a title in Jeddah, Fonseca announced himself to the tennis world in a big way at the Australian Open, where he qualified for the main draw and stunned No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets in his tournament debut. He arrived in Miami high on confidence after checking off a few more impressive milestones, winning his first ATP Tour title in Buenos Aires and taking home ATP Challenger title in Phoenix last week.

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Now, he’s armed with a new voice in his corner in Franco Davin, the famed Argentine coach who guided Juan Martin del Potro to victory at the 2009 US Open. Davin, who has also coached the likes of Guillermo Coria, Cristian Garin and Grigor Dimitrov, joins Guilherme Teixeira as the teenager’s second coach in a “consultant” role, having advised Fonseca and his team throughout 2024.

“There’s a lot of conversation going on, and Franco is a very nice guy,” Fonseca told Tennis.com. “He’s taught me a lot of things, (he has) a lot of experience from the tour.

“For now, it’s our first time travelling together… We did some weeks here last year in Miami, I was with him and my coach. It’s always Guilherme in front, and Franco giving some tips.”

Despite looking increasingly at home on the game’s biggest stages, Fonseca says he’s still processing his vertigo-inducing climb up the rankings. At this time last year, the teen was competing at ATP Challenger events in South America and ranked outside the Top 300; now, he sits at a new career-high world No. 60, and is tipped by the tennis world as one to watch with his Top 50 debut seeming to be right around the corner.

“Things happened very fast. I mean, going from juniors and then winning the US Open, and then after to the pros. Everything got very, very, very crazy in a short time. And, well, here I am,” he reflected.

“I say that things in my career happen too fast, and are still happening. I’m still trying to process everything, but enjoying every moment.”

Fonseca will be back in action on Saturday, as he faces No. 19 seed Ugo Humbert in the Miami Open second round.