Jannik Sinner’s bold Joao Fonseca claim at the start of 2025 has aged remarkably well

Ewan West 27 Oct 2025 5:30 PM

Joao Fonseca with Jannik Sinner inset

Jannik Sinner made a prediction about Joao Fonseca at the start of 2025 that has very aged well after the Brazilian won the biggest title of his career to date at the Swiss Indoors in Basel.

Fonseca prevailed 6-3, 6-4 against 26-year-old Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final at the ATP 500 tournament in Basel on Sunday.

Many feel that Fonseca, 19, has the potential to be the biggest challenger to Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who are the dominant forces in men’s tennis. Alcaraz and Sinner, who are ranked first and second, have each won four of the last eight Grand Slams.

Jannik Sinner’s Joao Fonseca ranking prediction

Jannik Sinner’s coach Darren Cahill has revealed the Italian star predicted that Fonseca would end the 2025 season in the top 25
Fonseca’s title at the Swiss Indoors has lifted him to a career-high ranking of world No 28, and he is 24th in the current Live ATP Rankings
The Brazilian will make his last scheduled appearance of the campaign at this week’s Paris Masters

Fonseca also defeated Jaume Munar, Denis Shapovalov and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard during his run in Basel, while he received a second round walkover from Jakub Mensik. He has improved his record in ATP Tour finals to 2-0 after adding to his maiden title in Buenos Aires in February.

“It is crazy. I want to thank my family and my coaches who helped me achieve this amazing effort,” Fonseca said after his triumph in Switzerland.

“My parents just came from Brazil. They were coming to Paris and changed their flights and came here one hour before the match with my uncles.

“It is just amazing to have them here for the biggest title of my career. It is a pleasure playing this sport and this tournament and I am very happy.”

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On his parents, Fonseca added: “They were the ones that believed in me. I was thinking about going to university and they said it was my choice and they would be there to support me.

“I just want to thank them. Since I was young, my mum travelled with me. Since I was 11, I only travelled with her, so that title is for her.”

What did Sinner say about Fonseca?

Speaking in his role as an analyst for ESPN during the Australian Open in January, Cahill revealed what Sinner predicted Fonseca would achieve this year.

“I asked Jannik what ranking he thought Joao Fonseca would be in at the end of the year, and he said ‘in the top 25’,” Cahill explained.

Why Fonseca is on course to prove Sinner right

Fonseca started the 2025 season ranked 145th in the world, and Sinner’s prediction looks set to be impressively accurate.

With the 500 points he gained for claiming the Basel crown, Fonseca jumped 18 places from 46th to a new career-high ranking of world No 28 in the ATP Rankings.

The 19-year-old has moved up a further four places to 24th in the Live ATP Rankings, which has subtracted the points players earned at last year’s Paris Masters.

Fonseca is not defending any points this week, which gives him a good opportunity to break into the top 25 with a good run in Paris.