Joao Fonseca has joined the small but growing list of tennis stars to have pulled out of the Asian Swing’s blue ribbon event.
The 20-year-old returned to action over the weekend as Brazil took on Switzerland in the Davis Cup. Fonseca was not at 100%, after suffering an injury to his abdomen before the US Open, but gutsed out a comeback three-set win over Dominic Stricker in Rio de Janeiro.
The Brazilian broke down in tears following his victory and just days after admitting he wasn’t fully fit, he has decided to skip the upcoming Asian Swing.
He wrote on Instagram, “2026 has been a very challenging year for me. On top of everything the profession demands, a series of injuries ended up taking me out of important tournaments and keeping me from playing the way I would like to.
“I know that’s just part of an athlete’s life, but even so, it’s still frustrating. I made a huge effort to return and represent Brazil in the Davis Cup, but I still need more time.
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“I talked a lot with my team, and we came to the conclusion that the best decision right now is to listen to my body, give my mind and body a break, and skip the Asian swing.”
Fonseca was on the entry list for the Japan Open, alongside the likes of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, US Open finalist Ben Shelton, and top 10 player Taylor Fritz.
However, this news means that the French Open quarter-finalist won’t be in Tokyo for the ATP 500 tournament, which runs from 30 September to 6 October.
Moreover, the Asian Swing’s biggest event, the Shanghai Masters (7-18 October), will also not have Fonseca in its lineup, as 2025 surprise package Valentin Vacherot aims to defend his crown.
US Open champion Alexander Zverev will feature, and barring any setbacks with his knee injury, Jannik Sinner will be in Shanghai, too. Alcaraz, Shelton, and Novak Djokovic are also on the entry list, but injured duo Raphael Collignon and Sebastian Korda are out of the tournament.
Earlier this month, Belgian star Collignon took to social media to say he would miss the Davis Cup and the Asian Swing due to a knee issue that has bothered him for months.
While the 24-year-old is hoping to be back for the European Open in Brussels on 17 October, Korda has sidelined for more than five months with a troublesome back injury.
He had surgery on it to “finally relieve the pain” but it remains to be seen when he will be back on the ATP Tour.
Shanghai Masters withdrawal list
- Joao Fonseca (world No 28) – replaced by TBC
- Raphael Collignon (world No 47) – replaced by Marcos Giron
- Sebastian Korda (world No 72) – replaced by Hamad Medjedovic
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