BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON, September 9, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)
Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca, one of the brightest young talents on the ATP Tour, will make his European Open debut next month in Brussels, Belgium, the tournament confirmed on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old from Rio de Janeiro, who is currently ranked 42nd, is the top-ranked player from Brazil on the ATP Tour, and is the reigning Next Gen ATP Final champion. In his first-full season playing tour-level events, Fonseca has compiled a 18-14 win-loss record and captured one tour-level title, at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires last February.
“I’m extremely excited to play in Brussels for the first time,” Fonseca said in a statement. “As you all know, this is my first year on tour playing the bigger tournaments and it’s been special to discover new places, sites and tournaments. I have been to Belgium before, had a good time and am looking forward to being on the ATP Tour event now and connecting with the audience.”
✨ã makes his European Open debut in Brussels! ✨
The Brazilian rising star is already turning heads with his explosive game. Don’t miss the future of tennis on court for the first time in Brussels! #EuropeanOpen #Fonseca #Tennis #Brussels pic.twitter.com/zstPzn04yw
— European Open (@EuroTennisOpen) September 9, 2025
Fonseca joins an already impressive lineup that includes World No. 9 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, No. 13 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada and No. 23 Arthur Fils of France, alongside home-grown Belgian talent Zizou Bergs, ranked 46th, and No. 87 David Goffin. Fonseca’s arrival highlights the ambition of Belgium’s largest tennis tournament and reinforces its status as a premium event on the fall ATP Tour tennis calendar.
“For this special edition, it’s fantastic that we can welcome a player of Joao Fonseca’s caliber,” tournament director Dick Norman said in a statement. “He is an exceptional talent and possibly the future of modern tennis, and his arrival underlines our ambition to also give the champions of tomorrow a stage. It is a unique opportunity for the Belgian public to see him in action, and fans can look forward to an unforgettable spectacle and an incredible atmosphere.”
After presenting the European Open for the past nine years in Antwerp, the tournament has moved to Brussels, where it will celebrate its 10th edition at Palais 12 from October 12-19. Past champions of the the ATP 250 European Open include: France’s Richard Gasquet, Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland, Andy Murray of Great Britain and Italy’s Jannik Sinner. The defending champion is Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain.
