Much chatter ahead of Australian Open 2025 surrounded Novak Djokovic’s past encounter with Marat Safin.
It happened to be an anniversary, on Djokovic’s Grand Slam debut 20 years ago.
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In the years ahead, tennis fans might revert to Tuesday at Melbourne Park to recall wunderkind Joao Fonseca’s Grand Slam debut against Safin’s countryman, Andrey Rublev.
For the second straight night session, a teenager impressed after Nishesh Basavareddy nabbed the opening set against Djokovic on Monday.
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Fonseca is a different sort of player to the American, blasting away with easy power from the baseline off both his forehand and backhand.
Backed by plenty of his Brazilian supporters at Margaret Court Arena – and giving them much to feed off with that game and numerous fist pumps – the 18-year-old qualifier upset the world No.9, 7-6(1) 6-3 7-6(5).
There couldn’t have been many matches in his pro career when the attack-minded Rublev stood on the back foot. This was one of them.
Fonseca hit 51 winners to only 32 unforced errors to extend his winning streak at all levels to 14 matches. The past nine have been in straight sets.
When afterwards the fast-rising world No.112 called his performance, “not bad,” it was an understatement.
“I just enjoyed the moment,” said Fonseca, who encountered a top 10 player for the first time. “This is an amazing court. It’s my first time playing in a huge stadium. I really want to thank this amazing crowd. There were a lot of Brazilians here cheering for me.”
The two mostly held with ease in the opening set – but the lone break point in the eighth game could have lingered.
Fonseca saved it as part of a 17-shot rally, forcing Rublev to scramble on the baseline. Rublev managed to get the rally to neutral, only to miscue on a forehand long.
Fonseca raced through the tiebreak, setting the tone with a sizzling return. He struck three winners, too.
That, however, paled in comparison to his purple patch – make that purple, purple patch – from 1-0 to 3-0 in the second.
Six winners came in a flurry of eight consecutive points tallied, similar to what his idol, Roger Federer, used to do.
Rublev hung on to avoid a double break deficit and even carved out a break point to get back on serve. Yet a forehand error ensued as he, understandably, looked to take it to Fonseca for a change.
Fending off three break points to start the third gave Rublev a boost, and more so when he finally broke through for 3-1.
However, Fonseca responded immediately, assisted by a Djokovic-esque forehand cross court return that might have been faster than Rublev’s own serve.
Fonseca again surged in the tiebreak, grabbing a 4-0 lead. Rublev, in his lone real show of frustration, flung his racquet to the court.
A net cord winner in a tiebreak greatly helped Rublev when he downed Holger Rune in an Australian Open classic in 2023. Another net cord temporarily assisted Rublev, and then he rallied for 5-5.
But two winners down the line, one a backhand and the other a forehand, completed Fonseca’s dream debut.
Rublev had met another slugging Brazilian in the first round last year in Thiago Seyboth Wild. He admitted to being resigned to defeat in the fifth set when a lead slipped before prevailing in a tiebreak.
Fonseca didn’t let him get anywhere near a fifth set on Tuesday.
Days after Rublev discussed in The Guardian how he took antidepressants and struggled with his mental health – he sought help from Safin – the tennis world will no doubt wish him well. Fans and peers alike have never been shy to show their fondness for the 27-year-old.
But on the court on Tuesday, Fonseca was, to put it simply, simply too good.