Stefanos Tsitsipas once tipped Fonseca for big things, and the latter is certainly living up to that prediction in his brief career so far.

Fonseca clinched the NextGen ATP Finals title in Jeddah last month, and has since gone from strength to strength on the court.

The 18-year-old Brazilian now takes on Italian Lorenzo Sonego in round two of the Australian Open, where he is certain to have the backing of the crowd thanks to his stunning opening win.

John McEnroe shocked at how good Joao Fonseca is after his win over Andrey Rublev

And not only has he endeared himself to tennis fans, but Fonseca has now caught the eye of seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe.

Speaking on Eurosport after seeing the Brazilian beat Rublev, the American said: “I just heard about him in the last year or so.

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“I saw him pretty recently in Riyadh when he played that under-21 NextGen thing. I was like ‘Oh my God’. What really opened my eyes was that first round match with Rublev. The guy made Rublev look like he wasn’t hitting a big ball.

“He is totally composed, physically at 18 years old, he looks as strong as an ox already and mentally he looks really tough.

“When I look at him I look at the next Carlos Alcaraz. I can’t believe how good this guy is already. You expect big things.”

John McEnroe makes Joao Fonseca prediction as he reaches Australian Open second round

Not only did Fonseca need to make it through Australian Open qualifying, but he needed to secure a first win against a top 10 player to reach round two.

The teenager made it through the former without dropping a single set, before doing the same in the latter against ninth seed Rublev.

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Fonseca smashed 51 winners and 14 aces in the straight set triumph, recording a fastest serve speed of 214km/h.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, McEnroe struggled to find any flaws with the teenager after such a promising display.

Asked if there is anywhere the Brazilian can develop, the tennis legend replied: “I think he has hit the hardest forehand in the tournament already, so I don’t think he has to worry about that too much.

“He also hit a couple of sweet two-handers. He looked pretty skilled at the net. He looks like he’s fit. The serve looks good. I can’t believe how good this guy is already.

“I don’t know if there is a whole lot this guy needs to work on, just point him on the right path, pat him on the back and say do your thing buddy because you are going to be the man soon!”

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