Joao Fonseca won his first ATP Tour title in Buenos Aires.

Alexander Zverev doesn’t want Joao Fonseca to get too ahead of himself (Image: Getty)

Alexander Zverev has given Joao Fonseca a harsh reality check after the teenager lifted his first ATP Tour trophy.

The 18-year-old clinched his maiden title at the Argentina Open on Sunday night and admitted he had dreams of being world No. 1 and winning Grand Slams.

But Zverev doesn’t want Fonseca to get too ahead of himself just yet.

Tennis fans have long been waiting to see Fonseca fulfil his potential. A former junior No. 1, the Brazilian has been touted as a promising prospect who could reach the top of the sport.

Still only 18 years old, Fonseca has been enjoying a rapid rise in recent months. He won the Next Gen ATP Finals in December and followed it up with victory at the Canberra Challenger a few weeks later.

Fonseca then qualified for the Australian Open and upset No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets on his Grand Slam main draw debut. He’s now become one of the youngest players ever to lift an ATP Tour title after winning in Buenos Aires.

After lifting his first trophy on Sunday, the new world No. 68 said: “Of course I want to be No. 1, of course I want to win Slams, titles, but my dream is just to play tennis, and I’m living it.”

Joao Fonseca won his maiden ATP Tour title at the Argentina Open (Image: Getty)

However, Zverev has now put the young star in his place, claiming it will take a while for Fonseca to reach the top of the game. “I talk to him quite a bit,” the world No. 2 said ahead of the Rio Open.

“There’s still a long process in becoming top 20, competing for Masters, for Grand Slams. He’s doing all the right things, playing tennis the right way.

“Time will tell but he has everything to be a very good player.”

Zverev knows what it is like to be a young player tipped for success. He burst onto the scene as a teenager and beat Novak Djokovic to win his first Masters title when he was just 20.

He has yet to win a Major title or become world No. 1, so it’s no surprise he’s cautious about Fonseca’s future.

But the German has already been proven wrong about another young talent – Carlos Alcaraz. Back in 2021, Zverev beat a 17-year-old Alcaraz in Acapulco and claimed it would take three years for the Spaniard to break into the world’s top 10.

“I remember when I was 17, coming out on tour, and he is playing incredible tennis. My guess is that he is going to be top 10 by 2024, in three years’ time when he is 20,” Zverev said after defeating the then-world No 132.

It took just over a year for Alcaraz to crack the top 10 and by September 2022, he’d become the youngest world No. 1 in ATP history after winning his first Major title at the US Open.

Like Alcaraz, Fonseca will be hoping he can exceed Zverev’s expectations and achieve his goals much faster. The 18-year-old has already outdone Zverev in Buenos Aires, winning the title while the top seed lost in the quarter-final.