Hubert Hurkacz seeks to carry his Geneva Open momentum into his French Open opener against the talented Joao Fonseca in a potentially mouthwatering first-round contest.
The Polish star was one set away from securing a ninth ATP Tour title in the Swiss-based event last week, only to succumb to Novak Djokovic in the final, and the 28-year-old hopes to have shrugged off that disappointment as he faces the fast-rising Brazilian sensation.
Match preview
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After a mixed start to the year, Hurkacz has found his momentum heading into Roland Garros, as evidenced by a recent run to the title match in Geneva.
The world No. 31's second-round exit at the Australian Open was followed by a semi-final run in Rotterdam, then early exits in Marseille, Indian Wells and Madrid, which suggested a prolonged dip in form.
However, the eight-time ATP champion has gradually regained his form since losing in straight sets to Benjamin Bonzi in the Spanish capital, highlighted by reaching the quarter-finals in Rome before falling to Tommy Paul, and advancing to the championship match in Geneva, where he claimed the first set but lost tiebreaks in sets two and three as the Serbian star captured his 100th title.
Entering the second Grand Slam of the year with a 14-10 record, Hurkacz, who has not exited in his tournament opener in Paris since 2021, aims to extend that run against one of the sport's rising stars.
Serving well could be pivotal to the outcome of Tuesday's contest, as landing his first deliveries could prevent Fonseca from finding his rhythm in the rallies.
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It will therefore be fascinating to see if the 18-year-old French Open debutant competes at his finest level when he steps onto the court at Roland Garros for the first time.
The teenage sensation has already displayed his giant-killing prowess when he defeated then world No. 9 Andrey Rublev for his first top-10 victory in Australia in straight sets, before losing to Lorenzo Sonego in five Down Under.
Fonseca has since claimed his first tour-level title in Buenos Aires, secured another Challenger crown in Phoenix and achieved Masters 1000 wins at Indian Wells and Miami, further demonstrating his undeniable potential.
However, the 18-year-old enters his French Open debut with little momentum, underscored by a three-match losing streak across several tournaments.
The Brazilian narrowly lost to Paul in two tiebreaks on the Madrid clay, Jesper de Jong in Estoril and Fabian Marozsan in Rome, all in straight sets.
While the prodigiously talented teenager still holds a healthy 23-8 record across qualifying and main draws on the ATP Tour and Challenger circuit in 2025, recent defeats indicate a lull heading into Tuesday's match against an eight-time tour-level champion, which could undermine his prospects.
Head To Head
Hurkacz and Fonseca's forthcoming contest will mark their first meeting on the ATP Tour, with the victor taking a 1-0 lead in their head-to-head record.
The Polish player has a mixed record against players under 21, winning losing two of his previous five contests against such opponents; however, he triumphed over Jakub Mensik in a recent titanic tussle in Rome, where he secured a 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(5) victory.
As for Fonseca, the Brazilian holds a record of 9-7 against top-50 opponents, though two of the teenager's recent defeats have come against Alex de Minaur in Miami and Paul in Madrid.
We say: Hurkacz to win in five sets
This contest could indeed go the distance, with both players possessing the tools to challenge each other, and if Hurkacz can land several first deliveries, he could gain the advantage if Fonseca's return game does not meet the required standards.
Given the Polish player's form and momentum entering Paris, betting on the world No. 31 may be the safer option.
