Racket in hand, Henry heads onto the court. He trains every day on the outskirts of São Paulo, with Brazilian João Fonseca, who is about to compete at Roland Garros, as his “inspiration.” “More and more kids” like 13-year-old Henry Takahashi dream of becoming professional tennis players in the country of football, his coach Juninho Nascimento said.
The coach points to a Fonseca “boom,” with a sharp rise in the number of players registered for children’s and junior tournaments. “Today we have no spots. There is a waiting list,” he says at the academy of the São Paulo Tennis Federation in São Bernardo do Campo, 20 km from São Paulo.
Fonseca, 19 and ranked No. 29 in the world, will compete for the second time in the main draw at Roland Garros, the major annual clay-court tournament that begins Sunday in Paris. With his aggressive style of play, heavy forehand and strong charisma, the young Rio de Janeiro tennis player has emerged as the great promise of South American tennis.
Along the way, he has put Brazil back on the map of the men’s elite. In 2025, when he won his first ATP Tour titles in Buenos Aires and Basel, he became the fifth Brazilian in history to enter the Top 25 of the rankings. He reached as high as No. 24. e joined Gustavo Kuerten, Brazil’s only world No. 1, along with Thomaz Bellucci, Fernando Meligeni and Thomaz Koch.
It had been a long time. Kuerten retired in 2008, Meligeni in 2003 and Koch in 1985. I like how Fonseca behaves on the court, his shots… everything,” says Henry shyly. He studies high school online because of his packed training schedule.
“Crazy” Growth
Between 2024 and 2025, the number of players registered for the national children’s and junior championship, ages 12 to 18, and the Federations Cup, an elite tournament for young prospects where Fonseca once competed, jumped by 34%. In São Paulo, where Henry trains, the growth has been exponential.
There, the number of players registered for youth tournaments run by the regional federation quadrupled between 2022 and 2025, reaching more than 7,000. “It’s crazy! I joke with everyone: João Fonseca wins a match in the morning, and by the afternoon the number of members goes up,” said Danilo Gaino, president of the federation.
Fonseca attracts young fans, “a trend we see in other activities, such as music or cinema, when Brazilians compete for international awards,” said Thiago Freitas, Brazil operations director for Roc Nation Sports. “If you look at the boys, they are all growing a little mustache and beard like João’s,” Nascimento says of his students.
Many use his racket model.
If He Can Do It…
As he enters professional tennis, Luis “Guto” Miguel is one of the most promising young players in Brazil. The 17-year-old, ranked second in the International Tennis Federation junior rankings, believes Fonseca is “laying out a path” to follow. “It is a hard road. With his dedication, his shots, his attitude, he helps us learn faster and get to the top,” Guto Miguel told AFP after competing in the Latin American Open in São Paulo, his ATP Tour debut.
In São Bernardo do Campo, Bruno Rodrigues finishes a practice session with other promising young players, including Igor Gimenez and Rafael Finetto. Seeing “such a young player” like Fonseca win titles is a boost. “If he can do it, maybe one day we can too.”
