'My dream is to become World No. 1' - Joao Fonseca reveals his goal after winning Next Gen ATP Finals

Joao Fonseca defeated Learner Tien in the Next ATP Gen final to maintain a perfect record at this tennis tournament, winning all five of his matches.

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Pratyusha Bhawar
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Tennis legend Joao Fonseca

Tennis legend Joao Fonseca Photograph: (Twitter)

Tennis star Joao Fonseca captured the world's attention by winning the Next Gen ATP Final on December 22, a showpiece event that featured the eight best tennis players of this year aged 20 or below. Fonseca toppled Learner Tien in the fourth set to win the title. The American took the first set, but he turned the match around after a tense second set decided in the tiebreak. The 18-year-old capitalized on his opportunities better and defeated the American by 2-4, 4-3, 4-0, and 4-2. After his title, he received praises from tennis legends Rafael Nadal and world number two Iga Swiatek.

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The 18-year-old becomes the third player in the history of the ATP 250 tournament, after world number one Jannik Sinner, who won the title in 2019, and former world number one Carlos Alcaraz, who clinched this historic milestone in 2021.

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After being hailed as a significant promise for Brazilian tennis, the young sensational player sees the comparisons with these two European talents as great and good pressure, expressing his wish to match their achievements in the future. Fonseca believes that he wants to become number one and match the milestones achieved by his rivals Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

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I am proud of myself: Joao Fonseca 

"I am proud of myself, but of course I want more. My dream is to become No. 1. Of course, now after winning Next Gen, I want to enjoy it this week and relax and celebrate with my family. I want to enjoy the moment, and I am very pleased and thankful for this year. I like playing the big guys. I like when I have a difficult match in a big stadium. I love the pressure. I belong on the stage of tennis where you have to be brave, where you have to go for the shot. I think I have improved a lot," Joao Fonseca said as being quoted by Eurosport.

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Tennis ATP Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner Rafael Nadal Iga Swiatek