Andre Agassi's ex-coach makes bold prediction for Joao Fonseca after teenager's spectacular Australian Open 1R

Andre Agassi’s former coach, Brad Gilbert, has recently made a bold prediction following Joao Fonseca’s stunning victory over Andrey Rublev in the first round of the 2025 Australian Open.

Fonseca, who turned pro in 2024, has only played 20 matches in his career thus far. He is the third-highest-ranked Brazilian player on the ATP Tour, behind Thiago Seyboth Wild and Thiago Monteiro.

On Tuesday, Fonseca achieved a remarkable feat by defeating three-time Australian Open quarterfinalist Andrey Rublev at Margaret Court Arena. After two hours and 23 minutes of intense play, the final score read 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-6(5) in favor of the Brazilian.

Following the match, Andre Agassi’s former coach, Brad Gilbert, was full of praise for Joao Fonseca. Gilbert admired Fonseca’s performance, particularly the final two points that sealed his victory over Andrey Rublev.

He lauded the 18-year-old’s style of play and highlighted his immense potential, humorously adding that Fonseca will need a good nickname soon. He wrote on X:

“what a phenomenal last 2 points from Fonseca to take out Rubles.

"really Like what i’m seeing from Fonseca such easy power off both sides and sneaky good serv definitely need to work on nickname asap”

He praised Joao Fonseca’s exceptional play, calling his power and composure top-10 level. Initially predicting a top-25 finish, Gilbert now sees Fonseca as a contender for the year-end championships.

“Fonseca level for 18 let alone any age is simply off the charts 📊 his easy power and composure 👍😎✊ right now his level is easily top 10, I said last month would finish 🔝 25 now seeing yearend championships,” Gilbert added.

After the match, Fonseca told the press that he stayed relaxed, relied on crowd support and played his best in key moments, which made the difference. He said:

“I was trying to not put pressure on myself, playing with a Top 10 guy in a huge stadium. [I was] trying to call the crowd to help me. I just enjoyed playing my game. That’s one thing about myself, is that I play better in the important points, I go for my shots. That was the difference today.”

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Joao Fonseca will continue his Grand Slam debut against Lorenzo Sonego in the second round of the 2025 Australian Open

Joao Fonesca at the 2025 Australian Open - Day 3 - Source: Getty

Following his victory over World No. 9 Andrey Rublev, Joao Fonseca will continue his Grand Slam debut run against Lorenzo Sonego in the second round of the 2025 Australian Open.

Fonseca entered the main draw through qualifiers, defeating Federico Agustin Gomez, Coleman Wong and Thiago Agustin Tirante. The 18-year-old, currently on a 14-match winning streak, also claimed the ATP Next Gen Finals title in December 2024.

Lorenzo Sonego, on the other hand, beat former World No. 1 Stan Wawrinka in his first-round match. Fonseca and Sonego have faced off once before, in the second round of the 2024 Țiriac Open in Bucharest, where the former emerged victorious.