The future is Joao! Eighteen-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca completed a perfect week at the Next Gen ATP Finals with a 2-4, 4-3(8), 4-0, 4-2 victory over American Learner Tien on Sunday, becoming the second-youngest champion in the seven-year history of the competition.
With Rafael Nadal watching on from the stands, eighth-seeded Fonseca bounced back from losing the first set to defeat Tien for the second time in five matches in Jeddah, and finish the eight-man competition for the world’s best 20-and-under players at 5-0.
Fonseca had previously beaten Tien, the fifth seed and winner of three Challenger titles this year, in the junior US Open final in 2023, and staved off the American, whom he also beat in four sets in Jaddah’s group stage, by turning around a key second set.
Already up a set, the 19-year-old had a set point in the second-set tiebreak to move ahead by two best-of-four-game sets to love, but failed to convert it. Two points later, Tien’s backhand broke down, and he buried a first-ball backhand off Fonseca’s return to knot the match at one set all.
