The 19-year-old tennis star, winning his first ATP 500 title, has been hailed as the ‘new Djokovic’.

After the match, Davidovich Fokina paid special respect to his opponent: "I want to congratulate Joao; he played unbelievable tennis. He truly represents the spirit of this sport and definitely has a bright future. I believe he will be the next ‘Nole,’ capable of beating Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Congratulations on this title and good luck next week."

According to the ATP, Fonseca is the first Brazilian to win a title above ATP 250 since legend Gustavo Kuerten’s triumph at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 in 2001. He is also the third youngest player to win an ATP 500 event since the series started in 2009.

"It’s unbelievable. I want to thank my family and coaches who helped me reach this amazing achievement," Fonseca emotionally said. "My parents just flew in from Brazil. They originally planned to go to Paris but changed flights to arrive here just an hour before the match with my uncles. It’s incredible to have them here at the most important moment of my career. I love this sport and am extremely happy with today’s win."

The Basel victory is the latest milestone in Fonseca’s swift rise. Late last year, he won the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah and made a big splash by defeating top-10 player Andrey Rublev at the Australian Open. Later, he captured his first ATP Tour title at a 250 event in Buenos Aires. With this new success in Basel, Fonseca is expected to climb to world No. 28 — his career best — after starting 2025 ranked 145.

When asked about his family, Fonseca shared emotionally: "They have always believed in me. There was a time I considered going to college, but they told me the choice was mine and they would support whatever path I took. I’m very grateful for that. Since I was young, my mother has traveled with me to every tournament. Since I was 11, I have only traveled with her. So, this title is a gift for my mom."

In Basel, Fonseca dominated the first set with 15 winners, constantly applying pressure and fully controlling the game from the baseline. He took advantage of the fourth set point to take the lead and closed the match with a solid service game in the second set, despite missing a championship point at 5-3.

Meanwhile, Davidovich Fokina extended his unfortunate streak by losing his fourth final in 2025. The Spanish player missed two title chances against Miomir Kecmanovic at Delray Beach, three more against Alex de Minaur in Washington, and also fell in the Acapulco final to Tomas Machac.

With his outstanding form, resilient fighting spirit, and fearless mindset, Joao Fonseca is reminding fans of the young Novak Djokovic — a determined, eager warrior ready to push all limits.