João Fonseca advances to the third round of the Madrid Masters due to Cilic’s withdrawal By Janderson Luiz
3 min read
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Brazilian João Fonseca secured a place in the third round of Masters 1000 by Madri this Friday, April 24th. The 19-year-old tennis player did not need to enter the court. Croatian Marin Cilic, his opponent in the second phase, withdrew hours before the clash.
Fonseca entered straight into the second round as the top seed. Ele now awaits the winner of the duel between the Australian Alex of Minaur, fifth favorite, and the Spanish Rafael Jodar, who plays with an invitation from the organization. The match against Cilic was scheduled for the afternoon on Madri.
37-year-old Croata quits without explaining why
Marin Cilic, former number 3 in the world and currently ranked 51st, was coming off a victory in his debut. Ele beat the Belgian Zizou Bergs by 2 sets to 1, with partials of 4/6, 6/3 and 6/4. The Croatian did not detail the reason for his withdrawal. Alguns reports mention stomach problems.
- Cilic debuted with a triumph over Zizou Bergs
- Desistência announced just hours before the game against Fonseca
- 37-year-old Croata accumulates experience on Masters 1000
- Fonseca avoided physical wear in the initial phase of the key
The Brazilian avoided a direct confrontation against the veteran. Ele maintains the pace for the sequence on Spanish clay.
Brasileiro is going through a good phase and already has better results in Madri
Esta is Fonseca’s third appearance on Madrid Open. Nas 2024 and 2025 editions, he stopped in the second round, defeated by Cameron Norrie and Tommy Paul, respectively. Agora, with the walkover, he already effortlessly equals or surpasses his previous performance on the court.
Fonseca returned to the top 35 of the rankings after a good campaign in Monte Carlo. In March, he faced Jannik Sinner in the round of 16 against Indian Wells and showed consistent progress. The 19-year-old has two ATP titles in his career and is looking to deepen his career in major tournaments.
The Brazilian tennis player was born in 2006 and leads the new national generation. Sua’s presence as top seed in Madri reflects rapid growth in recent months.
Próximo opponent leaves duel between De Minaur and Jodar
Alex of Minaur, seeded number 5, faces guest Rafael Jodar in the second round. The winner faces Fonseca in the third round. De Minaur is the natural favorite, but Jodar has already shown the ability to surprise at home.
Fonseca has a positive track record against more experienced players in some recent duels. The Brazilian is now looking for his first victory on court in the 2026 tournament.
Premiação guaranteed and motivation to continue on clay
With automatic advancement, Fonseca has already secured a prize pool of more than R$320,000 in the tournament. The value increases as he progresses. Masters of Madri distributes important ranking points and sets the stage for Roland Garros.
The Brazilian remains focused on the clay season. Ele accumulates important victories and experience against the top of the circuit. Brazilian fans are closely following the young talent’s performance in one of the biggest events on the calendar.
