Joao Fonseca has been touted as the next big thing in tennis and the potential ‘third man’ to threaten Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s dominance. Aged 19, he’s already won two titles and peaked inside the world’s top 25. Novak Djokovic has dubbed him a “superstar”, while Roger Federer said the teenager reminded him of himself. But Fonseca isn’t a fan of the constant comparisons and hype.

The Brazilian was brought crashing back down to earth this week, losing his opening match at the Argentina Open, where he was the defending champion. Fonseca beat Francisco Cerundolo in the final to lift his maiden title in Buenos Aires 12 months ago, but suffered a 6-3 3-6 7-5 defeat to Alejandro Tabilo.

Fonseca later admitted he felt the pressure of defending a title for the first time, telling Punto De Break: “If I said no, I’d be lying, so yes, I definitely felt a bit more pressure. I felt a little tense from the start of the match.

“I tried to find intensity, motivation, and a lot of desire; I even tried to get some support from the stands, but it just wasn’t enough today. Today I lacked conviction and confidence. We’ll work hard on this. I’ve been training well, and I’m confident that 2026 will be a great year for me. Now we’re on to Rio, I’m sure things will go much better there.”

Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

The current world No. 33 also confessed that he felt pressure from the constant comparisons he received to Alcaraz, Sinner, and fellow Brazilian star Gustavo Kuerten, who reached No. 1 in the world and won three French Open titles.

He added: “Obviously, the expectations are there. There will always be people talking about my progress, people who see me as the next Kuerten, the next Alcaraz, or the next Sinner. I’m making my own history. I already won in Buenos Aires last year, but that doesn’t mean I’ll win again this year. I [have been] ranked 24th in the world, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to be No. 1. Everything takes time.

“For my part, I can only keep working hard, strengthening my mindset, my technique, and my physique. I have a great team that’s helping me grow as a player and as a person. Every tennis player has their own timeline and their own story, and that has to be respected. I don’t like comparisons, but they’re going to be there, so I have to be mentally prepared. Sometimes they affect me, sometimes they create tension, but I usually manage to handle it well.”

Fonseca will be hoping to bring his best tennis to next week’s ATP 500 in Rio, his home tournament. Last year, he lost his opening match there, fresh off the back of his Argentina Open win. The 19-year-old has already attracted hordes of Brazilian fans wherever he goes, and the support on home soil will be like no other.

“For our tennis ecosystem, our sport, it’s super important to have a superstar, future superstar, hopefully coming from Brazil. Such a big country, big market, important,” Djokovic said of the two-time title winner last year.

EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page