By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday December 20, 2024
Joao Fonseca remained undefeated at the Next Gen ATP Finals with a win over Jakub Mensik on Friday.
Photo Source: TTV
By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday December 20, 2024
18-year-old Joao Fonseca continued his sparkling run at the Next Gen ATP Finals on Friday, defeating 48th-ranked Jakub Mensik in a match that featured five tiebreaks, 3-4(4), 4-3(8), 4-3(5), 3-4(4), 4-3(5).
Fonseca, who met Rafael Nadal before the match on Friday, says he was inspired by the interaction with the legendary King of Clay.
“He talked a bit more about his experience, and his mentality,” Fonseca, a former Junior No.1 who ranks 145 at the moment, said. “The way that he’s a hard worker, it’s really nice and it inspired me today.”
The second youngest player to ever play the event, Fonseca will face Luca Van Assche in the semifinals. The Frenchman, a semifinalist last year at the Next Gen Finals, defeated Nishesh Basavareddy in four sets.
The second semifinal will feature an all-American battle between Alex Michelsen and Learner Tien. Michelsen also went through group play undefeated. Tien upset last year’s finalist Arthur Fils to book his semifinal spot, 4-2, 4-2, 3-4(4), 4-3(5)
Former Next Gen ATP Finals Champions
2017 Hyeon Chung
2018 Stefanos Tsitsipas
2019 Jannik Sinner
2021 Carlos Alcaraz
2022 Brandon Nakashima
2023 Hamad Medjedovic