Fonseca ends 2026: no Basel, no Paris

João Fonseca has ended his season early. The Brazilian, 20 and world No. 29, is pulling out of the Basel ATP 500, the tournament he won last year, and the Paris Masters 1000. The plan was to return at exactly these two events, but together with his team he concluded he is not yet in shape to compete at the level he wants. He will be back on court in 2027.

His 2026 has been a string of stoppages. Back pain at the start of the year, then the wrist and right shoulder, and finally in August an abdominal problem that forced him to retire in Cincinnati and miss the US Open. In September he had already cancelled the Asian swing to recover. His last official match remains the Davis Cup tie in Rio, won in a comeback against Switzerland's Dominic Stricker, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The decision hits hard in the rankings. Between the Basel title and the second round in Paris, Fonseca will lose 550 points.

Amid the injuries there was also the best Fonseca: in Paris, on the clay of Roland Garros, he reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal by beating Casper Ruud 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 in almost four hours. Before his return, an exhibition against Carlos Alcaraz is scheduled for December 12 at the Allianz Parque in São Paulo.