Joao Fonseca has exited the Cincinnati Open at the third-round stage.
The 18-year-old Brazilian, tipped to be one of the best players on the ATP Tour by Carlos Alcaraz, could not match his opponent’s level during a straight-sets loss on Monday.
It must be acknowledged that Fonseca is only 18, and the Brazilian has plenty of time to hone his skills on the tennis court.
On this rare occasion in Cincinnati, Fonseca did not grab the headlines.
Instead, his opponent stole the headlines. This player is ranked 136 in the world and has just made the fourth round at a Masters 1000 event for the first time in his career.
Meet Terence Atmane
Young Terence Atmane, ranked 136 in the world, has shocked his peers at the Cincinnati Open by reaching his first Masters 1000 round of 16.
The Frenchman, who made his Grand Slam debut as a qualifier at the 2024 Australian Open, defeated Fonseca 6-3 6-4 in Midwest America.
Atmane won his first ITF titles in 2022, before winning his first Challenger title at the 2023 Zhangjiagang Open in China.
He then went on to win his second Challenger title in Guangzhou; entering the ATP top 150 for the first time in his career.
Atmane made his first ATP Tour appearance at the 2023 Zhuhai Open before playing in his first Masters 1000 tournament as a qualifier at the 2023 Shanghai Masters, claiming his first ATP Tour victory against Jordan Thompson.
Born in Saint-Martin-Boulogne and coached by Peyre Guillaume, Atmane has since defeated the likes of Lorenzo Musetti and Thanasi Kokkinakis at ATP Tour events.
After defeating Fonseca in Cincinnati, 23-year-old Atmane will face fourth seed Taylor Fritz.
Terence Atmane’s strong performance against Joao Fonseca
Terence Atmane demonstrated why he is one to watch for the future on the ATP Tour.
The Frenchman constructed 13 break-point opportunities on the Fonseca serve. While he only converted three of these, Atmane proved he can be a threat in return games. Atmane won 27 points on Fonseca’s serve, nine more than Fonseca won on the Frenchman’s.
Despite only making 57 per cent of his first serves, the 23-year-old won 79 per cent of those points, mitigating any issues with first-serve consistency.
If Atmane can do the unthinkable and defeat Taylor Fritz, he will face either Frances Tiafoe or Holger Rune in the quarter-finals.
Fritz and Atmane have played once before on the ATP Tour. The American won a close contest 7-6 7-6 at the 2024 Shanghai Masters.
