ATP Tour
Fonseca in ‘100 percent’ fitness to lead home title in Rio
The Brazilian says he is fully recovered from the back injury he suffered early in the season
February 16, 2026
Rio Open hosted by Claro
Joao Fonseca will practice at the Rio Open hosted by Claro on Saturday.
Written by ATP Staff
After a layoff in 2026, can Joao Fonseca give his season some serious momentum at the Rio Open hosted by Claro in his hometown?
The 38th-ranked player in the PIF ATP rankings will compete this week as the third seed at the clay-court ATP 500 event. It will be the 19-year-old’s third match of the season, having been sidelined by injury until the Australian Open, but now believes he is ready to make more headlines as one of the leading figures in Brazilian tennis.
“I feel good. My body is 100 percent,” Fonseca told ATP Media ahead of his first-round match against compatriot Thiago Monteiro. “I was struggling with my lower back at the beginning of the year, but now I’m 100 percent and feeling good to be back on the court. I’m in good shape physically.”
After losing to Elliott Spitzri in the first round of the Australian Open, Fonseca started his 2026 season and immediately traveled to South America to prepare for his “golden swing.” Although he also suffered his first defeat in his title defense at last week’s IEB+ Argentina Open in Buenos Aires, when he was defeated by top-20 star Alejandro Tabilo, Fonseca sees this as another important step in his tennis career.
“It was a very tight game in Buenos Aires against a very good player,” said the 19-year-old. “I think the opportunity to play a week as the defending champion is great. I’m thinking about positive things, right? 1771251334. It was my first time, so of course it was a bit stressful, but I think I handled it pretty well. I thought my opponent played well. Of course there’s still a lot to do, but I’m very confident about this week. ”
Fonseca enters Rio with a 13-11 record on clay this year, according to the Infosys ATP Win-Loss Index, having previously competed in tournaments in Europe and South America. He was quick to point out the differences between the Golden Swing event and similar events in Europe.
“I think the biggest difference is the weather [in Europe]”, Fonseca explained, “The weather is hotter and more humid [here]I think fans are a big thing. They extracted a lot of Argentinian and Brazilian culture, maybe because of the football, which is huge.
“They cheer a lot. Sometimes it’s too much! But I think it’s a great environment and that’s the most important thing [about South America]. The courts are very similar. Buenos Aires is more similar [the European] Some, the ball is a little slow here, but it’s also good. ”
