ATP 250 Brussels: João Fonseca, ranked 45rd in the world, plays his debut this Tuesday live starting at 2:30 PM

João Fonseca, Brazil’s number 1 in tennis, debuts this Tuesday (14) in the ATP 250 of Brussels, Belgium. The 19-year-old faces Dutch Botic van de Zandschulp around 2:30 PM Brasília time. The match takes place on indoor hard court at ING Arena and marks the first time the tournament is held in the Belgian capital.

Fonseca arrives at the event as the eighth seed, a career first. The main goal is to gain rhythm for the Paris Masters 1000, starting on October 27. Van de Zandschulp, ranked 86th, seeks his first ATP title after three recent runner-ups.

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• Live broadcast by ESPN and Disney+ in Brazil.
• Central court, last match of the day in Brussels.
• Estimated duration: about 2 hours, depending on pace.

The rematch between the players occurred in the 2024 Davis Cup, with Fonseca winning in straight sets.

Atualizando as informações de transmissão para o jogo de amanhã em Bruxelas:

🇧🇷João Fonseca X 🇳🇱Botic van de Zandschulp

⏰ Por volta de 14h30 (horário de Brasília) / Último jogo da Quadra Central

📺 ESPN2, Disney+ Premium e Tennis TV pic.twitter.com/10oi0W2E4Z

— João Fonseca Updates (@fonsecaupdates) October 13, 2025

Move to Brussels boosts the tournament

The ATP 250, known as European Open, moved its venue from Antwerp to Brussels in 2025. The decision aims to expand the audience in a metropolis with sports tradition. The ING Arena, with capacity for 5,000 spectators, hosts the event from October 13 to 19.

Circuit directors highlight the tournament’s growth in recent years. Champions like Jannik Sinner in 2021 and Andy Murray in 2019 raised the competition’s level. Roberto Bautista Agut defends the 2024 title in this edition.

Fonseca’s history against top rivals

Fonseca has 21 wins in 35 ATP matches in 2025. He won the title in Buenos Aires, his first at 250 level. Since the US Open elimination, the Brazilian added three straight wins.

Two of those victories were over top 30 players. Against Stefanos Tsitsipas in Davis Cup, Fonseca won 6/4 and 7/5. In Laver Cup, he beat Flavio Cobolli 6/4 and 6/3 in San Francisco.

The Rio native’s ranking dropped two spots to 45th after skipping Asia. Still, he leads Brazil and is the youngest in the top 50.

Van de Zandschulp has a 14-17 record this season. The 30-year-old Dutch lost four of his last five matches.. His strength lies in baseline consistency, but he errs more against tops.

Strong draw challenges the Brazilian

The singles draw features 28 players, with four top seeds advancing directly to the second round. Fonseca, as eighth seed, starts in the first. If he wins, he faces the winner of Pedro Martinez or a qualifier on Thursday (16).

Other highlights include Lorenzo Musetti (9th), top favorite, and Felix Auger-Aliassime (13th). Jiri Lehecka (19th) and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (20th) complete the top 20 present.

• Musetti seeks his third ATP title in 2025.
• Auger-Aliassime has good indoor hard history.
• Lehecka comes from quarters in Shanghai.

Total prize money is 706 thousand euros, about R$4.4 million. The champion earns 250 ranking points.

Preparation for Basel and Paris

Fonseca trains with coach Guilherme Teixeira since age 16. The focus now is adapting to indoor hard, a fast surface. He skipped Asia to prioritize Europe at season’s end.

After Brussels, the Brazilian heads to Basel ATP 500, October 20-26. There, similar courts await. Paris follows as goal to end year in top 40.

The calendar includes Athens, new ATP 250 from November 2-8. Fonseca could face Novak Djokovic if the Serb plays.

Strategies in rematch with Van de Zandschulp

Fonseca plans to exploit the Dutch’s aggressive forehand. In 2024, he broke serve in the first set and won the tie-break in the second. Indoor court favors quick exchanges.

Van de Zandschulp uses two-handed backhand to counterattack. He beat Carlos Alcaraz in 2022, but recent form is uneven. The match could go to three sets.

Fonseca adjusted his serve post-US Open, with 70% points won on first serve. Brussels training included long match simulations.

The Brazilian posed with local fans upon arrival, showing relaxation. He expects full arena for debut.

Post-Brussels calendar in details

Basel offers 500 points to champion and attracts tops like Holger Rune. Fonseca debuts against a qualifier or lucky loser. Paris Masters 1000 has 1,000 points and is the last big of 2025.

Athens marks Greek tournament debut, with Djokovic entered. Fonseca aims for semifinals in at least one of these events.

• Basel: 20-26/10, indoor hard, Switzerland.
• Paris: 27/10-2/11, indoor hard, France.
• Athens: 2-8/11, hard outdoor, Greece.

The year ends with ATP Finals in November, but Fonseca focuses on ranking for for 2026.