Carlos Alcaraz breaks the noise to defeat Joao Fonseca in Miami | ATP Tour

Alcaraz defies all odds to win Miami’s first meeting with Fonseca

Spaniard defeats 19-year-old in straight sets

March 21, 2026

Both Carlos Alcaraz and Joao Fonseca roared as they collected the ball in ferocious chipping. But it couldn’t compare to the noise Etta made on the court at the Miami Open on Friday night.

In front of a raucous crowd, Alcaraz summoned his courage and won 6-4, 6-4 in the pair’s first Lexus ATP meeting. The Brazilian gave Fonseca plenty of support as he went head-to-head with the PIF ATP Ranking No. 1, but Alcaraz’s experience and maturity helped him handle the 19-year-old’s fierce challenge.

“I think I performed very well in the crucial moments. From the beginning to the last shot, I performed very well. I know how good Joao is and that’s why I was very focused, every point, every shot,” said Alcaraz, who saved all three break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP statistics.

“I’m happy to stay calm and stay positive in those moments. Most matches, I serve well and that’s a really good weapon for me.”

Fonseca suffered back-to-back losses to Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz at the ATP Masters 1000, and was reversed in two tiebreaks by eventual champion Sinner at Indian Wells earlier this month. In both tournaments, the Brazilian showed why many believe he can be compared to the stars at the top of the PIF ATP rankings over the next decade. While Fonseca was a threat in both games, his raw power and fight weren’t enough to be frustrating.

“For him to play head-to-head against us, I think he and his team will get good feedback on where he should improve in the future,” Alcaraz recalled of the learning experience in his first match of 2021 against Rafael Nadal in Madrid. “I think he has it all, great shot, a lot to improve on, but he’s definitely going to get there. I think having back-to-back games against No. 1 and No. 2 in the world is really going to help him.”

Alcaraz suffered his first loss of the season in the Indian Wells semifinals to Daniil Medvedev, but has returned to winning ways this season to improve to 17-1, taking his record to 73-6 since a shocking loss to David Goffin in his first match in Miami last year. Since that defeat, the Spaniard has reached at least the semi-finals in 13 of the last 14 games he has played. The 22-year-old Alcaraz also improved to 13-0 against younger opponents at the tour level, once again showing his discipline on one of the ATP Tour’s biggest stages.

In a hot Miami atmosphere, Alcaraz blunted Fonseca’s aggressive game by controlling the middle of the court and dominating his first serve, winning 80% (35/44) of his points after his first serve. When Fonseca did get a chance to attack, Alcaraz used his speed and defense to shrink the court — so much so that Fonseca didn’t hit any forehand winners in the first set.

The Spaniard consolidated his advantage by breaking serve immediately in the opening second set, hitting a backhand lob winner and scoring consecutive points before converting a lob to break serve for his third chance of the match. Fonseca created break points in two of her next three comeback games, but Alcaraz proved his quality on those crucial points.

The top seed will next play Sebastian Korda in the third round. The 32nd-seeded American opened his trip to Miami with a 6-0 6-3 victory over Camilo Hugo Carabelli earlier on Friday.