17‑year-old Joao Fonseca makes mark on tennis world, mirrors Iga Świątek's style at Rio tournament

Born on August 21, 2006, Joao Fonseca is advancing with aplomb at the ATP 500 ranked tournament in Rio de Janeiro. The young Brazilian has successfully made it to the quarterfinals. He secured a commendable 6:4, 6:4 victory against the 2020 champion of the tournament, Cristian Garin, in his second match.

Fonseca's impressive performances have not gone unnoticed by netizens. People didn't just pick up on his competent game, but also his distinctive look. The fashionable 17-year-old has been seen in white shorts and a shirt crossed by pink lines. Interestingly, Iga Świątek sported an identical outfit at this year's Australian Open.

The Tennis TV profile, boasting over 635 thousand followers on the X platform, also took notice of this fact. The profile shared a clip from Fonseca's match against Garin. The caption of the recording made a reference to Poland's top female tennis player.

"Want to play on clay? Dress like Iga Świątek," read the tongue-in-cheek comment.

The tournament in Rio de Janeiro takes place on clay courts. Świątek has notably excelled on this type of court, having clinched the prestigious Grand Slam Roland Garros title three times. Should Fonseca not only emulate Świątek's wardrobe but also her clay court prowess, he may well emerge as a rising star in the world of tennis.

Iga Świątek began the new season with a bit of a stumble but quickly recovered with her third consecutive victory at the Doha tournament on February 17.

On February 23 (Friday), Iga also took part in the event semifinals in Dubai, squaring off against Russian player Anna Kalinska. The leader of the WTA ranking was surprisingly ousted from the tournament, losing 4:6, 4:6.