Joao Fonseca withdraws from 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals with an injury
NewsWednesday, 26 November 2025 at 19:10
The line-up for December's Next Gen ATP Finals has been weakened following Joao Fonseca's withdrawal.
First held in 2017, the Next Gen ATP Finals is for the best men's singles players aged 20 or younger. It has proved a popular concept, with fans able to watch matchups between the most exciting young talent.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are among the former winners. Sinner overcame Alex de Minaur in the 2019 final before Alcaraz defeated Sebastian Korda to secure the 2021 title. Those editions were held in Milan.
Fonseca was the 2024 champion in the tournament's second year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Holding the event there was one of the first signs of Saudi Arabia's growing influence, which became more pronounced after the announcement of a new Masters 1000 tournament for 2028 at the earliest.
At 19, Fonseca was eligible for the 2025 iteration scheduled from December 17th to 21st. He would have been the No. 2 seed behind Jakub Mensik, the world No. 19 who won this year's Miami Open.
Unfortunately, fans in Jeddah will not have the opportunity to watch Fonseca. The tournament's social media pages announced that he had withdrawn due to an injury sustained towards the end of the 2025 ATP season.
"Joao Fonseca has withdrawn from the 2025 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF as he continues to recover from an injury sustained at the end of the 2025 ATP season. We wish Joao the best in his recovery and in his preparations for the 2026 ATP Tour season."
Fonseca's having an injury was not confirmed until that announcement. However, suspicions arose when the Brazilian withdrew from the 2025 Athens Open, officially ending his ATP season at the 2025 Paris Masters.
The type and extent of the injury have still not been revealed. Hopefully, Fonseca recovers properly from it and is fit in time for the 2026 Australian Open. Many think the teenager can have a deep run at a Grand Slam next year.
2025 was a breakthrough year for Joao Fonseca
At the start of 2025, many were excited about Joao Fonseca's potential after he won the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals, but there were doubts about how he would adapt to the ATP Tour against more consistent and physically stronger players.
Although Fonseca has had inconsistent spells, his response to the doubts was still overwhelming. The Brazilian won a maiden ATP Tour title at the 2025 Argentina Open after a sensational run in Buenos Aires.
Fonseca secured an even more significant title at last month's 2025 Swiss Indoors in Basel. He defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the final, who afterward predicted he would be the next Djokovic. Fonseca was not a fan of that comparison.
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That title run was also notable for Denis Shapovalov's unexpected retirement in the quarterfinal. Despite appearing to have no injury, the Canadian shook hands with Fonseca after falling 1-4 and a double break down in the deciding set.
Tracking Fonseca's progress in 2026 will be fascinating. The 19-year-old might be targeting breaking into the Top 10.
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