No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeLatin AmericaBrazilBrazilian Teen Fonseca Makes History With Argentina Open Tennis Victory

Brazilian Teen Fonseca Makes History With Argentina Open Tennis Victory

Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca became the 10th youngest champion in ATP Tour history when he swept past home hope Francisco Cerundolo in the final of the Argentina Open on Sunday. The 18-year-old, ranked 99 in the world and playing in his first tour-level final, came through 6-4, 7-6 (7/1) against his 28th-ranked opponent.

Fonseca twice unsuccessfully served for the match but regrouped to claim victory in the tie-break in a frenzied atmosphere in Buenos Aires. The 2024 ATP NextGen champion is the youngest male player from South America to win a tour title while his victory will also see him rise to 68 when the new rankings are released on Monday.

“Unbelievable week, even in Argentina there are some Brazilians cheering for me,” Fonseca said on court.  “That’s just amazing. Every Brazilian, everyone from their country wants this support from your own country. For me, this moment that I’m living is just unbelievable.”

He added: “Of course I want to be No. 1, of course I want to win Slams, titles, but my dream is just to play tennis, and I’m living it.” Cerundolo, seeking his fourth career title, was broken in the seventh game of the first set and fought off Fonseca when the teenager served for the trophy at 5-4 and 6-5 in the second.

However, the Brazilian impressively held his nerve in the tie-break and celebrated his triumph by collapsing in joy on the dusty, clay surface. Fonseca made his maiden final the hard way — in Friday’s quarter-finals he saved two match points to defeat Mariano Navone in a match six minutes shy of three hours.

In all, he defeated four Argentinian players on the road to the trophy. He had already announced himself on the scene in January when he came through qualifying at the Australian Open and defeated top 10 player Andrey Rublev in the first round.

Trending Now

Update: Costa Rica Shark Bite Victim is a Renowned Marine Biologist

Days after our report on the shark attack near Cocos Island, new details have emerged about the incident and the man involved. The diver,...

Costa Rica Condemns Global Inaction on Humanitarian Crises at UN

Costa Rica has issued a forceful appeal to the international community to respond more swiftly and collaboratively to humanitarian emergencies across the globe, citing...

FIFA Fines El Salvador Federation Over Racist Chants in Suriname Qualifier

FIFA has slapped the Salvadoran Football Federation with a fine and attendance cuts following racist slurs from fans aimed at Suriname players in a...

How the US Shutdown Could Disrupts Travel to Costa Rica

As the US federal government enters a partial shutdown starting today October 1, travelers heading to Costa Rica face potential hurdles. The impasse stems...

Jane Goodall dies at 91 after transforming chimpanzee science and conservation

British primatologist Jane Goodall, who transformed the study of chimpanzees and became one of the world's most revered wildlife advocates, has died at the...

Costa Rica Unveils $800M Electric Train for San José Metro Area

Costa Rica has rolled out plans for a new electric train system aimed at easing traffic snarls in the Greater Metropolitan Area. President Rodrigo...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica