Fonseca, a right to dominate them all

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By now, you've probably heard about Joao Fonseca and his forehand being a major threat to the rest of the tennis players. However, one thing is watching him on screen, smashing the ball with every forehand he hits, and another is realizing the true impact of this Brazilian's drive with data in hand. After reading this article, your perception of Fonseca's forehand excellence might just increase even more.

At the last Australian Open, the tournament that introduced him to a wider audience, the Brazilian clocked a forehand at 181km/h. This indicated that this shot will, in the future, be one of those setting him apart in the sport. At just 18 years old, Fonseca can execute this shot and outperform established top-ranking players. Quite unusual for a young player, where possessing such ball power is not the norm.

But Joao isn't just about power. There's much more to him. According to exclusive data provided by TennisViz Insights and TDI Data about Fonseca's performance in the Miami tournament concerning his forehand, it's clear that the Brazilian is already reaching very high levels, standing alongside the best in the sport in this aspect and making a significant difference.

That forehand though 😱@Fonseca__Joao lets loose with a cannon from the baseline! #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/eAB535FWOo

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 20, 2025

A forehand to rule them all

Overall, Joao Fonseca's forehand was rated at an average of 8.5 points out of 10. This rating stems from the overall performance of each of the 302 forehands he hit during the tournament. It measures different aspects such as contact quality, spin applied, speed, trajectory and height over the net, landing position in the opponent's court, proximity to the baseline, distance from the sidelines, and whether the shot forces the opponent into a defensive or neutral mode, making it difficult to return.

Fonseca's forehand average before Miami was 7.4, indicating an improvement of more than a point in this shot, reflecting the impact he has made with his forehand in Miami and how he continues to enhance it week by week.

Out of the 302 forehand shots, Joao landed the ball in play on 254 occasions, representing 84% of the time, 1% higher than the tour's average. What stands out the most is the speed he generates, averaging 129.6km/h, 3.2km/h higher than his previous average and 8km/h faster than the tour average. Yes, you heard it right. Fonseca hits his forehand 8km/h faster than the tour average.

Regarding the spin he imparts on the ball, one might assume that, with such speed, Joao delivers flat forehands. However, during his Miami tournament, the Brazilian applied an average of 3338 revolutions per minute (rpm) with his forehand, 314 more than his usual average and 500 more than the tour average. Comparing these data with the top forehands on the tour is quite astonishing.

In Miami, Fonseca would rank as having the most spin on his forehand on the tour, surpassing those of Fils, Mpetshi-Perricard, Ruud, and Alcaraz, who lead in this aspect. In terms of speed, Joao would surpass Alcaraz and Sinner but still trail behind other faster forehands like Fils', previously leading in both spin and power stats.

Data regarding Joao Fonseca's forehand and backhand. Source: TennisViz Insights and TDI Data.

As we mentioned, Joao is not just about power. Besides the spin, the average height of his forehand shot over the net is only 62 centimeters, 9 centimeters lower than the tour average. All of these factors contributed to him achieving an average of 11.3 winners per match in Miami, four above the norm for the tour.

Moreover, Joao managed to find the deepest zone of the court 36% of the time in Miami, 5% more than the tournament average. His forehands only landed short 14% of the time, 7% less than the rest.

All in all, we're talking about one of the most promising forehands currently, already excelling in certain areas and, at just 18 years old, likely to keep refining and improving. A forehand that leaves no detail unchecked. It possesses power, spin, placement, depth, and aggression. Joao Fonseca is heading towards becoming a game-changing player with a forehand that will instill fear in many in the years to come.
 

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Fonseca, una derecha para dominarlos a todos