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JOAO FONSECA SETBACK HALTS DREAM NOVAK DJOKOVIC ATHENS ENCOUNTER EARLY

João Fonseca's breakthrough 2025 season ends after the Paris Masters. The Brazilian star, who rose to the top 30, will skip Athens to rest before a 2026 campaign and an exhibition match with Carlos Alcaraz in Miami.

Joao Fonseca setback halts dream Novak Djokovic Athens encounter early
Novak Djokovic clash off as Joao Fonseca's season cut short - Photo Credit: AFP

In the second round of the Paris Masters, Joao Foncesa lost to Karen Khachanov. The young Brazilian's first season on the ATP Tour came to an end when he chose to skip the ATP 250 tournament in Athens next week.

A youngster will choose to finish his season after Paris and refuel before 2026, declining a possible duel with Novak Djokovic in the Greek city. 

Joao will face Carlos Alcaraz in an exhibition match in Miami in December before the start of the new season. After winning the Challenger title and placing in the top 30, the young gun made remarkable strides in 2025. 

Fonseca is appreciative of what he has gone through in the past ten months and proud of his 2025 results. The time behind him served as a learning curve and a foundation for the young shooter's subsequent actions.

This January, Joao needed to earn a spot at the Australian Open. He will demonstrate his remarkable progress when he visits Melbourne as a seeded player twelve months later.

"I am quite pleased with the job done as the season comes to a close. I am really appreciative of everything that has occurred this year, which has been filled with experiences and knowledge that I will apply to my future professional endeavors.

I am grateful to everyone who cheered, my family and sponsors for their support, and my team for their dedication. It is only the beginning. I am feeling really proud of the job my team and I did as the season comes to a close.

This year was filled with experiences and lessons that I will take with me into the future phases of my career, and for that, I am extremely thankful. I am grateful to my family and sponsors for their support, my team for their dedication, and everyone who encouraged me.

This is only the start. Fonseca Joao wrote.

NICK KYRGIOS' FATE: AUSTRALIAN OPEN DIRECTOR TILEY WON'T GUARANTEE WILD CARD DUE TO FITNESS

Nick Kyrgios is not guaranteed a spot at the Australian Open. Director Craig Tiley confirmed Kyrgios needs a wild card, and his fitness is a major concern.

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Kyrgios Must Prove Fitness for Australian Open Spot

One of the biggest questions going into the new season is whether Nick Kyrgios will play at the Australian Open. Tournament director Craig Tiley isn't making any promises about giving the former Wimbledon finalist a wild card entry.

Kyrgios hasn't played a full match since March. He only had one win this season in Miami before losing to Karen Khachanov in the second round. That's the last official match he’s played.

Since October 2022, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist has only played six matches because of injuries, which raises concerns about his fitness and how ready he is to compete.

He played against Tommy Paul in an exhibition match recently. Yet, getting back to Melbourne Park won't be easy, at least according to Tiley.

Nick's protected ranking time is over. So, he’ll need a wild card to get into the Australian Open main draw. Even though he’s a big name, there’s no sure thing he will be in Melbourne.

The long break, not playing many matches, and questions about his health have made the organizers careful. On the other hand, Kyrgios usually plays his best at the home Major.

We saw that last January when he played against Jacob Fearnley, refusing to quit even though he was having physical problems. He fought until the end.

From the tournament's point of view, having Kyrgios at Melbourne Park would get more attention and sell more tickets. But the wild card will depend on how fit he is in the next few weeks.

Until they decide, Australia's most talked about tennis player is in a tough spot—hopeful, but not guaranteed a spot. Nick is 17-10 at the Australian Open, getting to the quarter-final in 2015 but not getting that far since.

I can’t say much about Nick right now—we’ll just have to wait and see. It’s good that he’s playing again. He’s signed up for some warm-up tournaments, and I know he really wants to play in Australia this summer.

That includes the Australian Open, but there’s still a ways to go. I think he’s past the protected ranking time, so he’ll need a wild card to get in, Craig Tiley said.

ULTIMATE FAN RECOGNITION: JANNIK SINNER VOTED FAVORITE, CEMENTING TENNIS STARDOM

Jannik Sinner has been voted the ATP Fans' Favourite singles player for the third consecutive year, placing him alongside his idol, Roger Federer, in the record books.

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Sinner Joins Federer with Three-Peat ATP Award Win

Jannik Sinner's amazing 2025 season keeps getting better. This time, it's not a trophy, but something players value just as much: recognition from the fans.

The four-time Major champ has been voted the ATP Fans' Favourite singles player for the third year in a row. He's only the second player to get this honour three times, putting him next to his idol, Roger Federer.

Federer owned this category from 2003 to 2021, winning it 19 years straight before Rafael Nadal took over in 2022. After Nadal, Sinner is the only winner, getting the ultimate praise from the fans.

Jannik had a wild ride in 2024 and grabbed the ATP number one spot after winning eight ATP titles. He missed three months of 2025 but still snagged six trophies, with an awesome run after the US Open.

Even though he ended up second in the ATP rankings behind Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner still had a bunch of wins and kept moving toward tennis greatness.

The 24-year-old played in 12 tournaments in 2025 and made it to ten finals, showing he can play at a high level consistently. He won six titles but lost the other four to Alcaraz.

Jannik defended his Australian Open title in January and came back strong in May. He played for the title in Rome, Paris, London, Cincinnati, and New York, losing to Carlos four times but becoming the first Italian to win Wimbledon.

Sinner got even better after losing in the US Open final. He finished the season strong, winning four of the last five tournaments, keeping his amazing indoor streak going, and getting ready for 2026.

He ended the season with another great ATP Finals run, winning the title without dropping a set and making history. With this latest win, Jannik now has five ATP awards.

In 2019, he was named Newcomer of the Year. Four years later, Sinner grabbed two awards: Most Improved Player and his first Fans’ Favourite award.

He did it again in 2024 and added another one this season, joining Federer on the short list of multiple-time winners.

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