It was the arrival of an ascending star that has the tennis world in raptures, with Australian Open legend Novak Djokovic among those in awe of emerging Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca.

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Russian star Andrey Rublev could only smile at the sublime quality of the teenager after he became the latest player to fall prey to his brilliance at Melbourne Park.

Making his grand slam debut against a rival who had reached the last eight at the past two Australian Opens, Fonseca played with a pizzazz beyond his youth to win in straight sets.

Djokovic, who progressed to the third round with a 6-1 6-7 (4) 6-3 6-2 win over another impressive newcomer in Jaime Faria on Wednesday, took note of the potentially fabulous Fonseca last year.

“I just met him (for the) first time, like, literally five minutes before I came into (this) room,” the Serbian said at Melbourne Park on Wednesday.

“I congratulated him not only on the win last night that I’ve seen, the last set I’ve seen, but also everything he has been doing the last six to 12 months. I’ve been following his rise, and I just love how he plays the big points. (He is) courageous, (a) very clean hitter, (an) all-around player.

“I’ve been a fan of his game. I’ve been watching him also last year. I think in one of my interviews for (the) ATP I was saying I see some of my game there in his game, particularly when I was his age, when you’re kind of carelessly going for the shots, just showing what you’re capable of.

“He’s got the goods, definitely. He showed that last night on a big stage (that he could) go very far. (The) future is bright for him, no doubt, if he keeps going this way.”

Djokovic arrived on the scene at Melbourne Park 20 years ago at a time when it looked as though Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal share the spoils for many, many years to come.

Similarly, after Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz shared the four major titles last year, it appears a rival a few years younger has arrived with the skillset to challenge them in the near future.

“What can I say about it? (He was) just incredible,” he said.

“I mean, the way he played his first grand slam match against his first top 10 (rival), it’s unbelievable. The way he approached the match, the way he handled everything, the nerves (and) the match in general, it’s been fantastic.

“It’s someone that I have to be (aware) of, let’s say. I have to see him. He’s going to be there. (It) is just the beginning of the year (and he has) just one win in a grand slam, but he’s going to be there.

“We’re going to put Joao Fonseca’s name on the list of the best players in the world really soon.”

A year ago Fonseca was beaten in the first rounds of Challenger events in South America as Sinner, 23, was working his way towards winning his first grand slam title at Melbourne Park.

But he raised eyebrows a couple of weeks later when, as a 17-year-old, he defeated the talented Frenchman Arthur Fils convincingly on the way to the quarterfinals in Rio de Janeiro.

By late July he was winning a good level Challenger event in Kentucky, where he defeated plucky South Aussie Li Tu in the final, before falling just shy of qualifying for the US Open.

It was his success in the ATP Tour Next Gen Finals against a field of rare quality in Jeddah last month that put his name up in lights and proved the start of a stunning winning streak.

He started 2025 by winning a Challenger tournament in Canberra to move to the cusp of the top 100 and then blitzed his way through the Australian Open qualifying ranks last week.

Brad Gilbert, the former top-10 ranked American who coached Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick with great success, delights in establishing nicknames for stars on the rise.

The ESPN analyst was in raptures watching Fonseca, who now plays tough Italian Lorenzo Sonego, deliver against Rublev on his grand slam debut.

“Fonseca’s level for 18, let alone any age, is simply off the charts,” he penned on social media.

“His easy power and composure … right now his level is easily top 10.”

Djokovic, who is the twilight of the most successful career men’s tennis has seen, said the emergence of Fonseca could be critical for tennis given the market in South America.

“Brazil is a huge country. (It is) super important for our sport to have a very good player coming from Brazil,” he said.

“I think they haven’t had a player maybe of that calibre since Guga Kuerten. It’s exciting times for Brazil, but also for the whole tennis world, because (having) such a young player and person to be able to play so good on a big stage is impressive.”

A word of advice for those hoping to watch Fonseca at a bargain price. He is the last match scheduled on the 1573 branded court tomorrow.

If his star keeps ascending, he will not be on the smaller courts for much longer.