The Australian Open, one of tennis’ grandest stages, often serves as the launch pad for future stars. Though Joao Fonseca, a promising young talent, bowed out early in this year’s tournament, his performance and potential have sparked significant interest among fans and analysts alike.

João Fonseca has definitively introduced himself to the world as the latest teen sensation in men’s tennis by upsetting No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev 7-6 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (5) in the first round of the Australian Open.

Fonseca has long looked like a star-in-waiting. Under pressure in his first Grand Slam set, he delivered beyond those lofty expectations

The qualifier, who reached his first grand slam main draw, faces ninth seed Andrey Rublev in the opening round

Joao Fonseca has become the talk of the town in Melbourne after causing a big upset at the Australian Open. The 18-year-old qualifier stunned No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets as he made his Grand Slam main draw debut on Tuesday.

Fonseca was part of the 2024 lineup alongside Fils and Luca Van Assche of France; Michelsen, eventual finalist Learner Tien and Nishesh Basavareddy of the U.S.; Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic and Shang Juncheng of China, who also goes by his Americanized name, Jerry Shang.

By Shrivathsa Sridhar MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Endless queues outside Melbourne Park's 1573 Arena on a sunny Thursday afternoon gave casual fans the impression that a Grand Slam champion was in action, but a quick peek inside revealed the carnival atmosphere and explained the interest.