Joao Fonseca set for career milestone at Madrid Open after Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images Joao Fonseca got his clay-court season off to a good start at the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he put together the best run of his career so far. The Brazilian reached the quarterfinals, taking down Gabriel Diallo, Arthur Rinderknech and Matteo Berrettini along the way. His tournament ended in the last eight with a hard-fought loss to Alexander Zverev.
Fonseca managed to take a set off Zverev before falling short in three sets. Still, it was an encouraging result for the 17-year-old who continues to climb up the rankings. Fonseca will now shift his focus to Madrid – another ATP Masters 1000 event where he made his debut earlier this year.
The switch from Monaco’s slower clay to Madrid’s altitude conditions will provide a different test for him as he looks to back up his recent form. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Joao Fonseca will be a seeded player at the 2026 Madrid Open After Novak Djokovic pulled out, Fonseca moved up to become a seeded player in Madrid. This marks the first time in his career that he’s held a seed at a Masters 1000 event.
So far, he’s played in 11 of them. With his new status, Fonseca will skip the first round and won’t meet another seeded player until at least the third round of this year’s tournament. The draw is set for Monday, but there are still doubts over whether Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will be available to play.
Joao Fonseca’s 2026 ATP Masters 1000 Results After a 2025 season without a single run past the third round at any ATP Masters 1000 event, Fonseca has already put together an improved showing in 2026. He kicked things off at Indian Wells, making it to the fourth round of the first half of the Sunshine Double. During that stretch, Fonseca picked up wins over seeded opponents Karen Khachanov and Tommy Paul before running into Sinner in the fourth round.