Joao Fonseca’s strong run continued on Tuesday as he took down Denis Shapovalov in three sets to advance at the Paris Masters.
Fonseca is coming off his second ATP title, having lifted the Swiss Indoors trophy last week by beating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final. The Brazilian, regarded as one of the brightest young talents on tour, looks to have brought that momentum with him into Paris.
This was Fonseca’s second straight win over Shapovalov, following up last week’s victory with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 result on Tuesday. Fonseca now moves on to face 10th seed Karen Khachanov, who has history at this event as the champion back in 2018.
Following his win over Shapovalov, Fonseca spoke about what it means to play in front of supportive fans during matches.
Joao Fonseca used to struggle with playing in front of a supportive crowd
Fonseca has been mentioned as part of a potential new ‘big three’ along with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, and those expectations are starting to follow him into every event.
Even so, the 19-year-old has shown a real calmness about how he goes about his business. Fonseca’s composure stands out, even at such an early stage in his career.
Now backed by fans everywhere he plays, Fonseca is growing into his role. He’s no longer just a promising prospect; he looks like someone who could keep adding titles for years to come.
Fonseca admits he didn’t always feel comfortable with that kind of backing. “When I was younger, I felt much more pressure when I was playing with the crowd on my side, and nowadays I just love playing with them,” he said after his win over Shapovalov.
“I think their support, it helps me a lot to stay in the match. When things are bad, when things are good, they are there to support.
“So I love playing with the crowd. I know that everywhere I go there are some Brazilians and that’s super nice.
Looking ahead, if Fonseca gets past Karen Khachanov in the second round, he’ll meet either Alex de Minaur or Gabriel Diallo next.
The only previous meeting between Fonseca and De Minaur came at the 2025 Miami Open when De Minaur won 5-7, 7-5, 6-3. Gabriel Diallo would be a new opponent for Fonseca on tour.
Joao Fonseca talks Brazilian fan support after win over Denis Shapovalov
Right after his win over Shapovalov, Fonseca spoke with Tennis TV about the impact the Brazilian fans had on his performance.
He said: “It’s just crazy. I think their support helped me a lot to win this match today. “Just calling my name and a lot of yellow jerseys that, I don’t know, people that live here or came from Brazil just to see me.
READ MORE: Nick Kyrgios adds fuel to Opelka–Bergs feud as he comments on their latest back-and-forth
“It’s just unbelievable, so thanks a lot to them. ”If Fonseca progresses to the quarter-final stage in Paris, he could face world number four Taylor Fritz.
Fritz lost to Ugo Humbert at last week’s Swiss Indoors event and will play either Corentin Moutet or Alexander Bublik in the round of 16.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
