Fonseca blasts past Davidovich Fokina for Basel title
Joao Fonseca won the trophy on Sunday afternoon against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Joao Fonseca, Basel 2025 | © Action Plus / Panoramic
Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca secured the biggest title of his nascent career on Sunday, defeating Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the Swiss Indoors Basel. The powerful 19-year-old’s triumph marked his second ATP title, first at the ATP 500 level, cementing his status as one of the tour’s most rapidly ascending talents.
The victory, achieved in one hour and 26 minutes, makes Fonseca the youngest champion in Basel since Jim Courier in 1989 and the first Brazilian man to lift an ATP trophy superior to 250 since Gustavo Kuerten in 2003, highlighting a performance defined by aggressive baseline dominance and clutch serving.
For Davidovich Fokina, the defeat was a continuation of a frustrating pattern, marking his fifth career final loss and fourth of the 2025 season. Fonseca, a NextGen ATP Finals champion last December, had enjoyed a breakout season that included his first tour-level title in Buenos Aires.
The Breakthrough Performance
From the first ball on the indoor hard court of St. Jakobshalle, Fonseca set an uncompromising tone. Standing close to the baseline, the Brazilian repeatedly punished the Spaniard with his immense forehand, dictating the tempo and forcing Davidovich Fokina onto the defensive.
The statistics from the first set underscored this aggression: Fonseca clubbed 14 winners against the Spaniard’s four, overwhelming the eighth seed with pace and depth. Fonseca secured an early break to go up 3-0, but Davidovich Fokina showed resilience, breaking back immediately in the fifth game to claw the scoreline back to 3-2.
However, the momentary shift in momentum was quickly erased. Fonseca responded with another decisive break in the following game and maintained his advantage, converting on his fourth set point to seal the opener 6-3.
Fonseca’s Composure Under Pressure
The match’s narrative continued along the same trajectory in the second set. Fonseca capitalized on Davidovich Fokina’s tentativeness early on, securing a break in the opening game to establish a crucial 2-0 lead. This lead proved insurmountable.
While Davidovich Fokina managed to stabilize his own serve, saving break points in the fifth and seventh games, he could not penetrate Fonseca’s delivery. The 19-year-old was particularly dominant behind his first serve, achieving an 80 percent success rate in the second set and facing zero break points throughout its entirety.
Serving for the championship at 5-4, Fonseca displayed remarkable composure, closing out the match with a confident love game, capping a flawless performance that left little doubt about the result.
Davidovich Fokina gracious in defeat
The victory is set to propel Fonseca to a career-high ranking of No. 28, confirming his arrival in the Top 30 and marking the biggest achievement for a Brazilian man in more than two decades, echoing the Grand Slam days of Gustavo Kuerten.
Despite the difficult loss, Davidovich Fokina was gracious in defeat during the trophy ceremony. “You played unbelievable tennis, and you have a bright future,” the 26-year-old Spaniard told Fonseca. “For sure you are gonna be the next Nole to beat Carlos and Jannik – congrats for this tournament and good luck for the next week.”
Fonseca, who was greeted by his parents who made a last-minute flight change to attend the final, dedicated the trophy to his family.
