Brazilian player Joao Fonseca captures his maiden tour-level title by outlasting Argentine Francisco Cerundolo in an enthralling title match at the Argentina Open on Sunday afternoon in Buenos Aires.
World No. 99 Joao Fonseca outlasted fifth seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 7-6(1) in one hour and 45 minutes to earn his first tour-level title at the IEB+ Argentina Open on Sunday.
By achieving the feat, the 18-year-old also made history for his country, becoming the youngest Brazilian ATP finalist in the Open Era.
During the trophy ceremony, the youngest ATP finalist on clay since Carlos Alcaraz (2021) commented: “Unbelievable week, even in Argentina, some Brazilians are cheering for me.”
“I want to thank my family, my friends, and my sponsors for helping me achieve my dream, which is to play tennis,” he added. “Of course, I want to be No. 1; I want to win Slams and titles, but my dream is just to play tennis, and I’m living it.”
Fonseca came out firing, breaking to open proceedings at Court Guillermo Villas, but the home favorite reacted fast, breaking straight back. It was just the beginning of a thrilling championship match, their first-ever meeting on tour.
The set went on serve until the unseeded Brazilian broke twice in the seventh game, racing to notch the opener 6-4 in 44 minutes.
As the second set wore on, Cerundolo raised his level, but a loose game, in which he hit a couple of forehands wide, saw Fonseca making the most of his chances, pushing forward to convert the break and lead 3-2.
Delivering high-level tennis with a hostile crowd packing the stands, the Rio de Janiero native fended off a break point and held, extending his advantage to 4-2.
Throughout a tight second set, the player who only a year ago was clinching his first match win at the Rio Open showcased great maturity.
Both title contenders held their ground on serve before the Next Gen Finals winner served for the match at 5-4, but after an erratic game, he dropped his serve for the world No. 28 to level up at 5-5.
The relentless raising start quickly reacted, earning three break point opportunities to take a double break in his second attempt.
However, he let his chances slip again, misfiring; as a result, he failed to close the match. On the other side of the net, the 26-year-old stayed collected, converting a double break to force a tiebreaker.
Confident, Fonseca came out strong, opening a crucial 4-0 advantage while displaying incredible speed and power.
Holding his nerve, he eventually triumphed, sealing a rollercoaster second set and the overall victory, becoming the 10th youngest champion in ATP Tour history (since 1990).
He hit 26 winners against 37 unforced errors compared to Cerundolo’s 16 and 33, respectively.
Furthermore, he won 73 percent of the points on his first serve, converting four of nine break points.
The victory guarantees he will reach a new career high on Monday.
His big-match mentality played a pivotal role in overcoming his opponent, a three-time ATP titlist playing on home soil, and handling the pressure, competing in his first career final on tour.
Moreover, he delighted the tennis fans with his outrageous backhands, spectacular volleys, and high-quality drop shots throughout the title match at the ATP 250 event.
In the lead-up to his maiden final, he overpowered Laslo Djere 7-6(3) 5-7 6-1 in a dramatic semifinal match.
Meanwhile, Cerundolo earned his highest-ranked career win by stunning world No. 2 Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals, dismissing Spaniard Pedro Martinez in the last four.