18-year-old Joao Fonseca captures first ATP title of career in Buenos Aires, makes history

Joao Fonseca capped a dream week in Buenos Aires on Sunday, defeating Francisco Cerundolo, 6-4, 7-6 (1), for his first ATP title.

And with that triumph, the Brazilian teenager made history—at 18, he’s the youngest Brazilian to win an ATP title in the Open Era.

The previous record belonged to Thiago Seyboth Wild, who was 19 when he captured his first career ATP title at Santiago in 2020.

And there’s more.

Fonseca is also the fourth-youngest player from anywhere to win an ATP title this century, after a trio of very notable names.

YOUNGEST ATP TITLE WINNERS SINCE 2000:

• 18 years & 1 month: Kei Nishikori at 2008 Delray Beach
• 18 years & 2 months: Rafael Nadal at 2004 Sopot
• 18 years & 2 months: Carlos Alcaraz at 2021 Umag
• 18 years & 5 months: Joao Fonseca at 2025 Buenos Aires

With an energized crowd on hand—Fonseca playing his first ATP final, Cerundolo the hometown favorite—the two players made a scratchy start to the championship match, trading breaks in the first two games. But Fonseca seemed to settle in just a little bit more, eventually grabbing another break for 4-3 en route to pocketing the first set.

The Brazilian broke again for 3-2 in the second set and stretched that lead to 5-3, and even served for the match twice at 5-4 and 6-5, but Cerundolo clawed back every time, sending it into a tie-break.

From there it was all Fonseca as he stormed through the tie-break, 7-1, winning four of his seven points with clean winners—a backhand down the line for 2-0, a massive crosscourt forehand for 3-0, a deft volley for 6-1 and, finally, a huge forehand down the line on match point.

"Unbelievable week," he said in his on-court interview, with his Brazilian fans cheering on. "I mean, look at this. Even in Argentina there are some Brazilians cheering for me and that's just amazing. I mean every Brazilian, and everyone from their country, wants this support from their own country. So for me, this that I'm living is just unbelievable.

"I just want to thank my family, my friends, my sponsors, for just helping me achieve my dream, which is play tennis. My real dream is play tennis. Of course I want to be No. 1, win Slams, win titles, but my dream is just play tennis, and I'm living it. So just thanks to them."

Finally, Fonseca has become the first player born in 2006 to win an ATP title. He already became the first player born in 2006 to reach an ATP quarterfinal when he made the last eight at his hometown event in Rio last year, and the first to reach an ATP semifinal and final this week.

FIRST ATP TITLE WINNER BY BIRTH YEAR SINCE 2000:

• 2000: Thiago Seyboth Wild [2020 Santiago]
• 2001: Jannik Sinner [2020 Sofia]
• 2002: Lorenzo Musetti [2022 Hamburg]
• 2003: Carlos Alcaraz [2021 Umag]
• 2004: Arthur Fils [2023 Lyon]
• 2005: Shang Juncheng [2024 Chengdu]
• 2006: Joao Fonseca [2025 Buenos Aires]