The highly anticipated first matchup between Carlos Alcaraz and Joao Fonseca took place to great fanfare on Friday night in Miami. Fonseca captivated the crowd, fired up and held his ground, but ultimately it was the seven-time Grand Slam champion who dominated, claiming a 6-4, 6-4 victory.
Alcaraz lost to Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals the last time he competed in Indian Wells, but he still has never lost to a player younger than him.
Nineteen-year-old Fonseca never really threatened to pull off an upset, but over the course of this tight contest he gave a glimpse of what the game might be like in the years to come.
Alcaraz, who is still a few months shy of turning 23, relied on his experience throughout. Unfazed by Fonseca’s speed and power, he put in a rock-solid performance that silenced the crowd and set up a third-round showdown with American Sebastian Korda.
“I think I performed very well in the crucial moments. I performed very well from the first to the last ball. I know how good Joao is and that’s why I was very focused, every point, every shot,” Alcaraz said after saving all three break points he faced.
Fonseca has now lost back-to-back championships to Yannick Sinner and Alcaraz. He didn’t win a set but gained valuable experience against two of the biggest stars.
“I think he has it all — a great shot, a lot to improve on — but he’s definitely going to do it,” Alcaraz said. “Playing back-to-back games against the No. 1 and No. 2 players in the world will really help him.”
Alcaraz was aggressive and efficient from the start of the 95-minute match, hitting 16 forehand winners to Fonseca’s five and converting two of five break points.
Fonseca has a chance. He saved a break point when leading 3-2 in the first set and then had two more break opportunities early in the second set but failed to capitalize.
Not all seeds fared well Friday in Miami.
Ethan Quinn notched his biggest career win over 2021 Miami runner-up Casper Ruud, saving seven set points in the second set to win 6-4, 7-6(7).
Rafael Collignon continued his strong form, knocking out No. 13 seed Flavio Coboli 7-5, 6-3.
Matteo Berrettini defeated No. 10 seed Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-4 for his first top-10 win in nearly a year.
