Wimbledon 2025 – João Fonseca keeps calm, carries on, reaches round two
Fonseca admitted after the match that he was feeling the nerves – coming into his Wimbledon debut against a Briton is no easy welcome to the Championships.
But the world No.54 looked as if he had been playing at SW19 since he was born, so co-ordinated with each shot and winning 84 per cent of his points on first serve.
This also marks the Brazilian’s third consecutive debut triumph in a Grand Slam main draw, achieving victory on his maiden outings at both the Australian Open and French Open this year.
“Probably the place that you play, you just feel like you want to win a lot,” Fonseca explained of what brings out the best of him at majors. “You’re playing a Grand Slam. It’s an opportunity. It’s once in a year, so you just give it all. I was very focused today and I gave my best. So I’m very happy, I worked very much for this one.”
For Fearnley, he falls short of consecutive second-round appearances at Wimbledon and bids farewell to the home crowd, who roared him on through the challenging conditions in south-west London.
On the other side of the net, Fonseca looks to just be getting started. At the tender age of 18, he is the first player that young to reach the Wimbledon men’s singles second round since Carlos Alcaraz in 2021.
Having reached the second round at Melbourne Park and the third round at Stade Roland-Garros, what lies in store for the boy from Rio de Janeiro at the Championships 2025?