Joao Fonseca’s blossoming career is winning new admirers. The Brazil teen prodigy made history following his second-round victory over Ugo Humbert at the 2025 Miami Open. Fonseca became the youngest tennis player, male or female, to reach one million followers on Instagram.
This latest off-court milestone comes on the back of a breakout season on the ATP Tour. Fonseca qualified for his first Grand Slam main draw at this year’s Australian Open and stunned Andrey Rublev for a maiden Top 10 win.
Last month, the Rio native bagged his first ATP title on the clay courts of Buenos Aires. He saved match points in the quarterfinal during the tournament and defeated former Top 20 player Francisco Cerundolo in the final.
Joao Fonseca Surpasses Emma Raducanu as the youngest player to Reach 1 Million Instagram followers
Fonseca’s rapid rise coincided with his soaring numbers on Instagram, which is one of the most used social media platforms in Brazil. By attaining the 1 million mark at 18 years and seven months, he eclipses Emma Raducanu, who previously held this record (at 18 years and 10 months) after her historic 2021 US Open title win.
Two more players feature in this exclusive list. Carlos Alcaraz now becomes the third youngest (19 years) to have reached 1 million Instagram followers. The World No. 3 cracked this milestone at the 2022 Madrid Open after beating Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic en route to the title.
Joao Fonseca becomes the youngest tennis player to hit 1 MILLION Instagram followers!
18 years 7 months – Joao Fonseca (Miami 2025)
18 years 10 months – Emma Raducanu (US Open 2021)
19 years – Carlos Alcaraz (Madrid 2022)
19 years 6 months – Coco Gauff (US Open 2023)Starboy 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/3DWw6F1HoP
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) March 24, 2025
And the fourth player who reached the seven-digit number of followers as a teenager was Coco Gauff (19 years and six months). She did it following her maiden Grand Slam win at the US Open three years ago.
Fonseca is preparing to face 10th seed Alex de Minaur in the fourth round of the Miami Open on Monday night. He is currently on a seven-match winning streak and has tallied 22 wins at all levels since the start of the season.
The rankings are enough proof of the meteoric rise that Fonseca has been through in the last 15 months. He was ranked outside the Top 700 at the start of last season and was yet to decide on whether to become a full-time pro. But fast forward to 2025, Fonseca is now an established member of the Top 100 and could break the Top 50 depending on how far he will go at the Miami Open. For now, Brazil is quickly embracing its newest star on the tennis court.
Main Photo Credit: Jonathan Hui/The Desert Sun/USAToday Sports
