Australian Open: Joao Fonseca scripts records after humbling Andrey Rublev
What's the story
Rising Brazilian tennis star Joao Fonseca has made a stunning debut on the Grand Slam circuit, defeating Andrey Rublev at the 2025 Australian Open.
This is Rublev's first opening-round defeat at Melbourne Park since 2019.
The 18-year-old Fonseca is now on a 14-match winning streak across levels, including his victory at the ATP Next Gen finals in December last year.
Match highlights
Fonseca's electrifying performance against Rublev
Fonseca displayed his brilliant skills in a match against Rublev, one of the world's best.
Although this was his first main draw match at a Grand Slam, he appeared comfortable in the unknown territory.
The Brazilian won a closely-fought first set with a tiebreak and then upped his game to outsmart Rublev. His power from both forehand and backhand stood out.
Record match
Fonseca equals 22-year-old record
Fonseca defeated Rublev 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-6(5), making him only the second teenager (since 1973) to beat an ATP top-10 opponent in their debut Grand Slam match.
He achieved what Mario Ancic did when he defeated Roger Federer at 2002 Wimbledon when he was just 18.
The Brazilian player's win has brought him on par with Federer's record set two decades ago.
Information
First teenager with this feat
As per Opta, Fonseca has also become the first teenager to defeat an ATP top-10 opponent in straight sets at a Grand Slam since Rublev. The latter beat Grigor Dimitrov at the 2017 US Open.
Post-match reaction
Fonseca thanks crowd after Australian Open victory
After defeating Rublev, Fonseca thanked the cheering crowd.
"I just enjoyed every moment on this amazing court, it's my first time playing in a huge stadium," Fonseca said.
He also thanked the Brazilian fans who came to watch the match and said their cheers helped him keep his cool in a high-pressure match against a top 10 player.