Boris Becker drops 1-word reaction to Joao Fonseca surpassing Emma Raducanu in recent milestone

Six-time Major winner Boris Becker congratulated Brazilian teenage prodigy Joao Fonseca after he reached a significant social media milestone. Fonseca, the 2023 junior US Open champion and former ITF-ranked No.1 is seen as a future tennis superstar.

At 18, Fonseca has already gone some way towards confirming his on-court potential. He won his first ATP title in February, defeating Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets to lift the Argentina Open. The victory made him the youngest Brazilian to win an ATP title in the Open Era and he's already attracting comparisons to his idol, tennis legend Roger Federer.

Fonseca's achievement was reported on X (formerly Twitter) by tennis influencer and author Bastien Fachan. Fachan revealed that Fonseca had become the youngest tennis player to pass one million followers on Instagram. Boris Becker, who was a teenage prodigy in his own right, winning Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 1984, immediately responded to the tweet via his X handle.

"Word," Becker wrote on X.

Joao Fonseca reached the milestone just three months earlier than British player Emma Raducanu. Raducanu hit a million Instagram followers as an 18-year-old after her astonishing US Open win in 2021.

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Joao Fonseca's promising win in Argentina garners praise from tennis star

Miami Open Presented by Itau 2025 - Day 5 - Source: Getty

Joao Fonseca and fellow young gun Learner Tien played each other in the first round of the Miami Open this week and served up a thrilling encounter, which Fonseca won in three sets. Former three-time Major winner Andy Murray was so impressed by the display put up by Fonseca and Tien, that he couldn't hide his delight on X, posting:

"What an incredible atmosphere. Fonseca and Tien are amazing talents! Tennis isn't broken after all."

Earlier in an interview with Brazilian publication Globo, the Brazilian youngster was asked for his opinion about who he considered the best tennis player of all time between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Although Murray's words would surely have been praise of the highest order, Fonseca was clear about which player he believed to be the GOAT.

“Federer. There’s no way to change that. People can say that Djokovic is the greatest of all time, but for me there’s no way. Djokovic may be the best of all time, but Federer is the greatest. Unmatched,” he mentioned [via Tennis365.com].

Joao Fonseca's next test is against the seasoned Australian Alex de Minaur, who he plays in the Round of 32 in the Miami Open. De Minaur is the tournament's tenth seed, representing a considerable hurdle for the young man to overcome. Win or lose, Fonseca's future in the game is assured, and his social media following will no doubt keep growing.