Linday Davenport: Joao Fonseca showed “that superstar quality” in Australian Open debut

Joao Fonseca spoke humbly after a historic debut on the Grand Slam stage, citing the hard work t.

But the Tennis Channel Live panel, led by former Aussie Open champion Lindsay Davenport, believe the 18-year-old Brazilian possesses talent that can’t be taught.

“He has that superstar quality,” exclaimed Davenport, “and he’s able to—so far!—handle all the pressure that comes along with it.”

Fonseca, who became only the second teenager since 1973 to defeat a Top 10 player in his first Grand Slam match—Mario Ancic became the first when he upset Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2002—spoke of being able to step in pressure moments, which was ultimately on display against a stunned Rublev, who has been ranked as high as fifth in the ATP rankings and is no stranger to big matches.

He’s got that Alcaraz and Sinner quality where he can hit hard, and he can hit it harder. You can hear the gasps of the crowd reacting to the power that’s coming off his racquet. Martina Navratilova on Joao Fonseca

“It takes players years to figure out how to thread the needle and dealing with that kind of pressure,” explained TC analyst Prakash Amritraj. “A little bit too defensive is one sign of pressure coming out and a little bit too offensive is another sign of not being able to handle the pressure.

“At 5-5 in that third-set ‘breaker, taking the time then pulling the trigger with the backhand up the line, going behind [Rublev] with the forehand up the line, not being afraid but still playing within himself and still going for it. It’s tough to teach that at 18 years old.”

Martina Navratilova was most impressed by the Next Gen ATP Finals champion’s easy power, the likes of which helped him rack up an impressive 51 winners against Rublev over three sets.

“He’s got that Alcaraz and Sinner quality where he can hit hard, and he can hit it harder. You can hear the gasps of the crowd reacting to the power that’s coming off his racquet. The backhand was amazing too.

“He hits it hard all the time, and then he can take it up another 10%. It’s impressive.”

Combine that with poise and maturity and, this is a player of the present as much as of the future.

“Sometimes we see talent and say, ‘This is a good kid; keep an eye on him.’ This is a whole new level of anticipation,” said Jon Wertheim. “Fans have been talking about him. Agents have been going to Brazil. This guy clearly already has credibility in the locker room when there’s Rublev, the favorite playing a teenager, and he had a look on his face like, ‘Wow.’

“Even the handshake at the net, there was no, ‘I was eliminated by a kid.’ This was, ‘This guy is the real deal, and someone else we’re all going to have to contend with.’”

Fonseca could get another big-stage clash against No. 17 seed Frances Tiafoe in the third round, but he will first have to back up his big win against Italian Lorenzo Sonego, who edged past 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka in an impressive first round win of his own (Fonseca leads 1-0).

The earliest he could face Jannik Sinner wouldn’t be until the semifinals, but from how he played against Rublev, it seems possible we could see a major match like that in the next year—if not next week.