Joao Fonseca broke down in tears after his comeback Davis Cup win over Switzerland’s Dominic Stricker in Rio de Janeiro.
The 20-year-old withdrew from the US Open due to an injury to his abdomen, something he aggravated during the Brazilian’s victory over Botic van de Zandschulp in his Cincinnati opener.
Fonseca did not appear to be completely comfortable during his singles tie with Stricker in his hometown, as the youngster dropped the first set 6-4 to the world No 263.
But the 2026 French Open quarter-finalist fought back to claim a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory. Fonseca was immediately overcome with emotion as the tears flowed on Friday.
This is Davis Cup emotion 🇧🇷
João Fonseca completes the comeback on home soil.#DavisCup pic.twitter.com/JRZT9n0UoR
— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) September 18, 2026
On social media, people have speculated that his emotional reaction was off the back of the sheer weight of expectation Brazilians place on him, while the player himself spoke about how “difficult” 2026 has been for him.
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After the match, the world No 28 told reporters, “It was a difficult year. I suffered from a lack of self-confidence and a few injuries.
“I didn’t come here at 100%, I couldn’t even guarantee that I could play, but this moment, playing Davis Cup for Brazil, means a lot to me. I gave my best and it’s a very important win for me and the team.”
Fonseca won his first ATP Tour title in Buenos Aires as an 18-year-old in early 2025, before lifting the Swiss Indoors in Basel for a maiden 500 crown later that year.
At the French Open, he came from two sets down to beat 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic in an epic but it seems he was more emotional for this Davis Cup win than for any of those feats.
He added, “Without a doubt, this victory can give me a lot of confidence, but also a lot of maturity. Not just for the rest of the year, but for the rest of my career.”
Brazil take a 2-0 lead into Saturday after Gustavo Heide won in three sets to beat three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka.
Fonseca will hope he stays injury-free and can get back to his best soon. The Brazilian has been hailed as the next big star after Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz but this year, the likes of Learner Tien and Rafael Jodar (both 20) have overtaken him in the rankings.
However, they have been relatively injury-free, whereas Fonseca hasn’t. If he can stay fit, Fonseca could be a force to be reckoned with.
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