Miami Open 2025: Learner Tien vs Joao Fonseca preview, head-to-head, prediction and pick

Match Details

Fixture: Learner Tien vs Joao Fonseca

Date: March 19, 2025

Tournament: Miami Open 2025

Round: First Round (Round of 128)

Venue: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, US

Category: ATP 1000

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize Money: $9,193,540

Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada

---

Learner Tien vs Joao Fonseca preview

Joao Fonseca of Brazil returns a shot to Jack Draper of Great Britain during the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells - Source: Getty

The youngest player in the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings, Joao Fonseca will face the 19-year-old American Learner Tien in the first round of the Miami Open on Wednesday, March 19. Fonseca and Tien also met in the final of the Next Gen Finals a few months ago in Jeddah and 2025 has been a breakthrough year for both of them.

Brazil's Fonseca started this year as World No. 145 and he entered the Top 100 after some impressive performances in Australia. The 18-year-old won the Canberra Challenger and then stunned the World No. 9 Andrey Rublev in the first round of the Australian Open.

In February, Fonseca won his maiden ATP title in Buenos Aires to enter the Top 70 and lost to the eventual champion Jack Draper in the second round of Indian Wells.

The Brazilian youngster entered the Phoenix Challenger in the USA and defeated Jan-Lennard Struff, Hugo Gaston, Kei Nishikori, and Alexander Bublik to lift the trophy. It also helped him reach his career-high ranking, No. 60.

On the other hand, Learner Tien also started the season outside the Top 100 and stunned the World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the Australian Open. He broke into the Top 100 by reaching the fourth round of the first Grand Slam of the year.

Tien earned his second Top 5 win in Acapulco when he stunned the World No. 2 Alexander Zverev to reach the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 event. He lost to Mariano Navone in the first round of Indian Wells but still reached his career-high ranking of No. 66 this week.

Learner Tien of the United States celebrates a point against Corentin Moutet at the Australian Open- Source: Getty

---

Learner Tien vs Joao Fonseca head-to-head

Joao Fonseca leads the head-to-head record 2-0 against Learner Tien. He won their round-robin match at the 2024 Next Gen Finals and then defeated him in the final of the event a few days later.

---

Learner Tien vs Joao Fonseca odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap bets	Total games
Learner Tien	TBD	TBD	TBD
Joao Fonseca	TBD	TBD	TBD

(Odds will be updated once available)

---

Learner Tien vs Joao Fonseca prediction

Many tennis fans will be eagerly waiting for this match, as this could be one of the leading tennis rivalries in the future. The winner of this match could have a chance to break into the Top 50 first, and would compete with 19-year-old Jakub Mensik (World No. 54) to be the highest ranked teenager.

Joao Fonseca will be the favorite to win this match, as his recent form has been better. He would also have the psychological edge after beating Tien twice at the Next Gen Finals in November.

Tien has not won a match on the ATP Masters 1000 level yet, whereas Fonseca has already earned two wins. Tien, who was born in Irvine, California, would be hoping that crowd support can help him beat Fonseca.

Few months ago Tien became the first American teenager to reach the last 16 at the Australian Open, since Pete Sampras in 1990. Tien would be hoping that he can also have a great run at the Miami Open, as Sampras reached the quarterfinals in Key Biscayne, Florida that year.

Prediction: Joao Fonseca to win in three sets