Two BNP Paribas Open debutants, Jacob Fearnley and Joao Fonseca, tussle in Thursday's first-round match at Indian Wells, seeking a place in round two against British No. 1 Jack Draper.
Teenage sensation Fonseca triumphed in Buenos Aires last month during the South American clay-court swing for his maiden ATP Tour title, and the Next Gen victor aims for a second-round berth in the desert by defeating his fast-rising British opponent.
Match preview
Although he is already 23, Fearnley's ascent in the rankings has been commendable, having risen to world No. 81 heading into his first involvement in the ATP 1000 event. Â
The British player was ranked outside the top 500 12 months ago, but a positive showing at last year's Wimbledon — where he made it to round two and took a set off Novak Djokovic before exiting — and progressing to the third round at the opening Grand Slam of 2025 have showcased the Edinburgh-born player's talent.
Entering Indian Wells at 3-2 for the season at tour level, Fearnley's biggest wins in 2025 have come against seven-time ATP Tour champion Nick Kyrgios and Arthur Cazaux Down Under before returning to winning ways at the Davis Cup against veteran Kei Nishikori in late January.
Keen to make a positive impact on his ATP 1000 debut, success for the 23-year-old will set up a mouthwatering all-British tie with Draper in round two.
That outcome is far from assured, given Fearnley's opponent this week is 18-year-old Fonseca, whose success at Buenos Aires last month saw the teenager become the youngest Brazilian to clinch an ATP crown in the Open Era.
The youngest South American champion enters the tournament in California looking to record success at his British opponent's expense and improve his 6-3 record this season.
Although the world No. 80 could not follow up his title in Argentina with a deep run in Rio de Janeiro the following week, exiting early to Frenchman Alexandre Muller in Brazil, the teenager aims to benefit from the mini-break after the South American clay swing.
Much will depend on Fonseca acclimating swiftly to the surface switch after playing on the dirt in Argentina and Brazil last month following this year's mixed results on hard courts.
Despite a 1-2 record on the surface this season, Fonseca's only victory was a stunning top-10 success over Russian star Andrey Rublev Down Under, though that triumph has been followed by a thrilling five-set defeat by Lorenzo Sonego at Melbourne Park and a Davis Cup disappointment against Ugo Humbert.
It will be fascinating to see who comes out on top in the pair's first tour-level meeting and second overall, with Fearnley motivated to set up a round-two match with Draper and Fonseca keen to avoid losing in his first 1000 appearance on the singles circuit.
Head To Head
Canberra (2025) - Semi-final: Fonseca 6-3 6-3
Fonseca was the victor when both men faced off in Canberra at the start of the year, securing a straight-set triumph at Fearnley's expense.
That triumph came on hard courts, and the Brazilian aims for more of the same in this week's round-one meeting.
Fearnley's 3-2 record at ATP events in 2025 is inferior to Fonseca's 6-3, highlighting the teenager's form and recent success in Buenos Aires.
Strikingly, the 18-year-old has claimed eight wins from 11 matches on hard courts in the last year, bettering the British player's 4-3 record on the surface.
We say: Fonseca to win in three sets
Both players could be dealing with nerves on their ATP 1000 debuts in the Californian desert, while Fonseca's lack of competitive hard-court action since the start of February could slow down the teenager against Fearnley.
However, the Brazilian sensation should edge the first-round contest in three sets to improve his ongoing 8-3 hard-court record, setting up a second-round meeting with Draper.
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