"Joao's leap in the ranking has been quite terrifying"

Fernando Murciego | 19 Nov 2025 | 19.45

This is Guilherme Teixeira, Joao Fonseca's coach. Source: Getty

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The 2025 season of Joao Fonseca has been a scandal, full of good results, titles, growth, and a meteoric rise in the rankings. Someone who knows him very well is his coach, Guilherme Teixeira, who is not as well known.

Guiding the carioca since 2018, when he was only 12 years old, the figure of Guilherme Teixeira is that of the classic tennis player who never managed to achieve his dream of turning professional. Years later, now from the sidelines, destiny presented him with an opportunity to travel that same path from the sidelines, helping a young talent reach the levels he couldn't. That young talent is named Joao Fonseca and is currently one of the most promising tennis players in the world.

Yes, perhaps at 19 years old it is too early to make a prediction, but considering the progress he has made in this season, it is impossible to ignore the bells that point to him as a future reference in the locker room. In an interview with the portal Lance!, we can listen to Teixeira talking about his protege, the relationship they have, the values they work on, and the importance of family. These statements help us to better understand the Brazilian's mindset.

"I've always been struck by his ability to feel part of the environments he frequents, he adapts to new surroundings very quickly, always thinking he can be there, that he belongs there,” emphasizes the 38-year-old coach. “Sometimes, he achieves incredible clarity for his age, especially when facing and acting upon moments. I think that's one of his great virtues, being very self-assured,” he adds.

“Joao is a very calm guy, extremely calm,” he insists once again. “He really likes to take his time to do things, he dislikes rushing. He is a super organized guy who likes to know when things start and end, he likes to have everything well-structured. He has a good relationship with everyone, although he is very discreet. He always facilitates approaching others, despite his level, he has never shown any arrogance. This greatly helps the coexistence within the circuit,” appreciates Guilherme, who only managed to reach a doubles ranking back in 2006.

“One thing we always try to preserve is that the human being must come before tennis. Values do not depend on the game we show or how well we perform on the court. I always tell him that we are preparing to be on the tour for the next 15 years, so it's best to cultivate good environments, good friendships, to treat people as we would like to be treated,” emphasizes the Brazilian, a man who has been accompanying him to tournaments for the last seven years.

Guilherme Teixeira has been working with Joao Fonseca since he was 12. Source: Getty

All the past work paid off like never before this season, bursting into the top 25 thanks to his titles in Buenos Aires and Basel, among other triumphs. “When we look at the numbers, going from #700 to #25, the truth is that it represents an almost frightening leap. I confess we haven’t paid much attention to the ranking, but at this point in his career, it is almost inevitable. Although he is already in the top 25, what keeps driving us is reaching the next step. Of course, it is gratifying for the whole team to see him make such a big leap, but right now we focus first on consolidating ourselves at this level, then planning the steps to reach the next one,” assures the coach.

The Importance of Family in Joao Fonseca's Daily Life

In addition to the coach and his teammates, Guilherme Teixeira does not forget another fundamental pillar of Joao Fonseca's structure. He talks about his parents, Christiano and Roberta, as an endless source of freshness, order, values, and maturity in keeping his feet on the ground over these years. Parents who always knew what their role was, far from wanting to interfere in decisions that weren’t theirs.

“I give a lot of value to the family; his parents always endorsed me to their son: ‘Guilherme is your coach, you discuss tennis matters with him, we are here to support’. I never felt that the parents were against or challenged my decisions, quite the opposite, they are the best allies. For me, this bond is key, parents are his main reference in life, when you have the approval of parents, everything is much easier,” happily concludes the coach.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, “El salto de Joao en el ranking ha sido algo aterrador”

ATP