18-year-old Brazilian faces Fearnley in first round on Thursday

As Joao Fonseca embarks on the next chapter of his journey to the top, he needs no reminder of what he’s striving for.

The 18-year-old Brazilian has made an impressive start to the 2025 season, capturing his first tour-level title in Buenos Aires last month and shooting up to a career high of No. 68 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Now, Fonseca arrives at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells with his sights set on even greater heights.

“I’m just trying to improve my game,” Fonseca told ATP Media. “Trying to improve in the rankings [so I can] play those tournaments: The 500s, the 1000s. I’m just working very hard — me and my team — to be here with the top players.”

It All Adds Up

Despite competing as a wild card, Fonseca has risen inside the ranking spots that would have ensured him direct entry to the ATP Masters 1000 event. The current World No. 80 boasts a 14-3 record at all levels this season, including a stunning first-round win over World No. 9 Andrey Rublev in his Grand Slam main-draw debut at the Australian Open, followed by his triumph at the ATP 250 in the Argentine capital.

After the high of Buenos Aires, Fonseca lost in the first round on home soil at the ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian has put that defeat behind him and is relishing the opportunity to compete in Indian Wells for the first time.

“It feels amazing,” said Fonseca. “I didn’t expect the beauty… There are so many mountains, it’s literally like a desert. It’s really, really cool. The place for the players is also super cool. There’s grass [areas] that are for the players, cool restaurants, so it’s really nice.

“I just want to thank the tournament directors for this opportunity. Playing these kinds of tournaments is the goal of every player. I want to be at the top tournaments, and people say that this is the fifth Grand Slam. It’s super cool, it’s amazing how they treat the players. Hopefully I can enjoy it [a lot].”

Although Fonseca may be competing in his first full season on the ATP Tour, he has already tasted success at ATP Masters 1000 level. The teen defeated Alex Michelsen in Madrid last year before falling to former World No. 8 Cameron Norrie in the second round.

At Indian Wells, in his second appearance at an ATP Masters 1000 event, Fonseca will open against another rising star, Britain’s Jacob Fearnley. While they have not met in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, Fonseca can take confidence from a straight-sets win over Fearnley in the semi-finals en route to an ATP Challenger Tour title in Canberra in January.