Joao Fonseca continues his rise, wins biggest career title in Basel | ATP Tour
match report
Fonseca continues to rise, winning biggest title of career in Basel
Brazil beats Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 6-4
October 26, 2025
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Joao Fonseca is the third youngest ATP 500 champion since the series began in 1990.
Sam Jacott
Joao Fonseca continued his impressive progress at the Basel Indoors in Switzerland on Sunday, where he won his second tour-level title and first at the ATP 500 level, providing Alejandro Davidovich Fokina with more final heartbreak.
The 19-year-old was fearless in the biggest match of his life, beating Davidovich Fokina, who maintains an 0-5 record in tour finals, 6-3, 6-4 in Basel.
Fonseca is the first Brazilian to win the ATP 250+ title since Gustavo Kuerten claimed the ATP Masters 1000 crown in Cincinnati in 2001, and is the third youngest player to win the ATP 500 title since the series began in 2009.
Fonseca’s victory in Switzerland marked the latest breakthrough moment in his burgeoning early career. The 19-year-old won the Next Generation ATP Finals presented by PIF in Jeddah last December and then defeated Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open for his first top-10 win.
He then won the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires, becoming the youngest South American champion in the ATP Tour era (since 1990). Fonseca achieved a career-high in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday, climbing to a career-high No. 28 after starting the year at No. 145.
With his outstanding performance, Fonseca hit 15 winners in the first set, overpowering Davidovich Fokina who could not cope with the Brazilian’s power. The 19-year-old called the shots from near the baseline and took the lead on the fourth set point. Fonseca continued to pile on the pressure in the second set and ended up serving after failing to convert a championship point at 5-3. The 19-year-old moved 2-0 ahead of the Spaniard in the Lexus ATP Head2Head Series after 86 minutes of victory.
Davidovich Fokina has now lost four games in the 2025 finals and five games in total. He wasted two championship points against Miomir Kekmanović in Delray Beach, and then wasted three championship points against Alex De Minaur in Washington. The 26-year-old also lost to Tomas Machak in a title fight in Acapulco.
Despite recent heartbreak, the Spaniard has risen to No. 15 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and will reach a new career high on Monday.
did you know?
Fonseca is the second-youngest winner in tournament history, behind only 19-year-old Jim Courier in 1989.
