Andre Agassi gushes about Joao Fonseca at Rio Open

American tennis legend Andre Agassi was at the Rio Open this weekend to present the championship trophy.

While there, he reconnected with Brazilian teenage tennis star Joao Fonseca. The 19-year-old was on a rapid rise when he suffered a back injury late last year that has limited his time on court.

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Fonseca and Agassi worked together at last fall’s Laver Cup. Fonseca was a member of Team World which captured the 2025 Laver Cup in Agassi’s first year as team captain. Agassi and Team World co-captain Pat Rafter were seen spending a lot of time on court coaching Fonseca.

What Andre Agassi said about Joao Fonseca

Agassi talked about how much he enjoyed working with Fonseca. He admired his tennis talent, but he gushed more about his character and off-court persona..

About Fonseca, Agassi said: “He’s obviously quite a sensation, but also an even better human being, far beyond his years, mentally, emotionally very aware of his environment and processes.”

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When asked if Brazil would ever host the Laver Cup, Agassi admitted that though he has a special place in his heart for Brazil because he won his first ATP tournament in Itaparica in 1987, he doesn’t have any input in the Laver Cup host city decisions.

Fonseca wins Rio Open doubles title

Joao Fonseca has made no secret how much he wants to win the ATP 500 Rio Open in front of his hometown fans.

On Sunday, teamed with 42-year-old Brazilian tennis legend Marcelo Melo, Fonseca claimed his first ATP doubles title at the Rio Open. In his emotional speech, he pledged to also win the singles title one day.

The focus for Fonseca is to stay healthy. Like Arthur Fils, his chronic back issue limited him for months. It is one of the hardest injuries for tennis players to recover from. Hopefully, Fonseca, whose traveling fanbase rivals Alex Eala‘s, is on his way to a healthy and successful 2026 season.

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