Joao Fonseca’s fan impact at the Miami Open draws comparisons to Roger Federer
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images for Laver Cup Joao Fonseca and Carlos Alcaraz are set to face off at the Miami Open later today, marking their first-ever meeting on the professional stage. The teenager is one of the most highly-touted prospects in all of tennis, and there’s been no shortage of praise for his talent. Some even believe he’s got the potential to be a future rival of Alcaraz.
However, despite all the buzz surrounding their upcoming match, it could be a concern for Miami Open tournament director James Blake. That is, if last year’s events are any indication. James Blake calls Joao Fonseca a ‘one of one’ Photo by William WEST / AFP via Getty Images Appearing on Andy Roddick’s Served podcast, Blake discussed what it’s like managing a player with Fonseca’s level of attention.
“It’s unique,” he admitted. “Joao Fonseca, I learned last year, and I learned my lesson. He is one of one in Miami.
” Blake went as far as to say that Fonseca has reached heights not even the likes of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, or Roger Federer could match – not just yet anyway. He added: “We have had great drawers here and great players in Roger, Rafa and Novak. All the great players.
We have had Juan Martin Del Potro, who was extremely popular, but Joao Fonseca is different. “I have never had a security warning from any of them, and the way it was last year with him. That changed last year, that kind of excitement.