Dominant Fonseca sets Sinner showdown, breaks new ATP Masters 1000 ground
Brazilian upsets 23rd seed Tommy Paul
March 09, 2026
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Joao Fonseca races past Tommy Paul in one hour, 22 minutes.
By ATP Staff
After saving two match points to beat Karen Khachanov in the BNP Paribas Open second round, Joao Fonseca left no doubt Sunday night against Tommy Paul. The 19-year-old Brazilian powered past the home favourite 6-2, 6-3 to set up his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Jannik Sinner.
“I don’t need to say that Jannik is a huge player. He won several titles. Him and Carlos they are winning everything,” said the Brazilian. “So just rest tomorrow and then Tuesday back on court, trying to put as much pressure as I can and trying to play like [I did today].
“We tennis players, we look forward to playing against the top players. It’s going to be a pleasure and hopefully I can get the win.”
Fonseca advanced to the fourth round at an ATP Masters 1000 for the first time with a dominant performance on the Indian Wells stadium court. He is the first Brazilian to reach that stage at a Masters 1000 since Thiago Monteiro in 2024 (Rome), and the first in Indian Wells since Thomaz Bellucci in 2012.
Now 7-1 against Top 30 players in the PIF ATP Rankings since September — including two wins en route to the Basel title in October — Fonseca will next face a Top 2 player for the first time in Sinner. It will also be his first match against any of the players currently in the Top 5 of the PIF ATP Rankings.
Also in evening action, Frances Tiafoe defeated Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 6-2, gaining revenge after a defeat in the Acapulco final last week. By snapping the Italian’s six-match winning streak, Tiafoe earned his first Top 20 win since he also beat Cobolli last year at his home tournament in Washington.
Tiafoe is through to the Indian Wells fourth round for the second time in his career, having previously advanced to the semi-finals in 2023. He will next face fourth seed Alexander Zverev, who beat Brandon Nakashima 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-4 earlier on Sunday.
Big time from Big Foe 😎@FTiafoe avenges the Acapulco final loss to Cobolli, by blitzing past the Italian in straight sets. @BNPPARIBASOPEN | #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/jccYhFwJB7
— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 9, 2026
Felix Auger-Aliassime is also through to the last 16, where he will face Arthur Fils. The ninth seed beat fellow Canadian Gabriel Diallo 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3 to improve to 13-2 since the start of February — a stretch that includes a title in Montpellier, a final in Rotterdam and a semi-final in Dubai.
