Andy Roddick pushes back on Roger Federer’s comments about Joao Fonseca
Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images for Laver CupCallum DaviesSat, January 17, 2026 at 5:22 PM UTC·2 min read
Joao Fonseca is seen by many as one of the brightest young players on the tour, and some believe he has the game to shake up the hold Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner currently have over men’s tennis.
Alcaraz and Sinner have quickly established themselves at the top of men’s tennis, collecting Grand Slam titles at a pace that brings back memories of the Big Three era.
The last eight majors have all been split between them, with no real signs that anyone else is ready to break their dominance just yet.
But if someone were to challenge that order, there are plenty who would point to Fonseca as a serious contender.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
While breaking down the entire men’s and women’s draws for the Australian Open on his Served by Andy Roddick podcast, Andy Roddick couldn’t help but bring up Federer. He has been a constant presence in Melbourne over the past week, playing practice sets and doing interviews, all while soaking up the attention that comes naturally to him.
“Roger said that about Fonseca? I don’t see that style-wise, not really. But Roger obviously sees something. Maybe it’s just the easy power, the variety is there, the elite ball-striking, and the movement. There’s a reason we’re all talking about him.”
“But I don’t know that he hits many chips or chip returns. I would be curious to hear the extended reasoning for that from Roger.”
Fonseca will open his campaign against American Eliot Spizzirri, an unseeded opponent, which is a more favourable matchup compared to last year.
If he gets through the first round as he did against Andrey Rublev in 2025, Fonseca will then face either Luca Nardi or Wu Yibing in the second round.
While the early stages look manageable, things get tougher in the third round.
This is where Fonseca could meet Jannik Sinner, who has won back-to-back titles in Melbourne and currently sits at number two in the world rankings. Fans are eager to see how Fonseca measures up against one of the game’s elite players so early in his tournament run.
If Fonseca manages to pull off what would be a huge upset over Sinner, Karen Khachanov could be next on his path, presenting another difficult challenge as he navigates the draw.
READ MORE: Novak Djokovic admits Alcaraz and Sinner are ‘on a different level’ ahead of Australian Open
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