Tennis - Next Gen ATP Finals - King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - December 22, 2024 Brazil's Joao Fonseca in action during the final match against Learner Tien of the U.S. REUTERS/Stringer/ File Photo
(Reuters) - Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca said his ATP Next Gen Finals triumph in Jeddah on Sunday had left him dreaming of emulating Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz by becoming world number one.
The 18-year-old from Rio de Janeiro lit up the tournament for players aged 20 and under, beating American Learner Tien in the title clash to earn over $500,000 in prize money for remaining unbeaten throughout.
It capped a spectacular campaign for Fonseca, who rose to number 145 in the world rankings after beginning the season outside the top 700.
"It's amazing how I have improved physically and mentally. I've been very strong mentally, winning matches against top 50 and top 20 players," said Fonseca.
"I'm proud of myself, but of course I want more. My dream is to become number one."
Former Next Gen champions Sinner and Alcaraz have both gone on to achieve that feat.
Sinner is the current world number one while Alcaraz reached the peak of men's tennis for the first time in 2022 as a 19-year-old, with both players enjoying success on the Grand Slam stage.
"It's a good pressure," Fonseca said of the challenge that lies ahead.
"Winning Next Gen shows I'm on the right path. I hope I can do the same or even better than what they've done and are doing and are going to do.
"I look forward to playing with them. I hope I can compete in big matches at the Grand Slams. It's where I want to go."
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
