Joao Fonseca was the star of the 2025 Australian Open, and now he is on his way to Melbourne as the seed. Fonseca faces Eliot Spizzirri in the first round on Tuesday, while Sebastian Baez takes on Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
(28) Joao Fonseca vs. Eliot Spizzirri
Fonseca and Spizzirri will meet for the second time in their careers when the first round of the Australian Open concludes on Tuesday. They previously squared off in the final round of the 2024 US Open qualifiers, where Spizzirri survived a stunning 7-6(8), 6-7(5), 6-4.
A lot has changed since that game, and in a very good way for both players. At just 19-years-old, Fonseca has risen to 32nd in the rankings – seeded for the first Grand Slam of his career. Spizzirri left the University of Texas following the 2023-24 college season and has since established himself as a top-100 player (currently No. 85). The 24-year-old American is playing well again, having reached the quarterfinals in Auckland as the underdog. As Fonseca already knows, this is a dangerous game – especially since the Brazilian is dealing with a minor back injury.
Pick: Fonseca at 5
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs. Sebastian Baez
Perhaps no one has been as hot as Baez this early in the season. The 36th-ranked Argentine lost in the Auckland final to Jakub Mensik, but had gone 7-0 in 2026 before that result. Taylor Fritz, Stan Wawrinka, Jaume Munar, Jenson Brooksby, and Ben Shelton were among Baez’s hair.
It’s not easy for Chief Perricard on the other side of the net on Tuesday. The 6’7″ Frenchman may be ranked 61st in the world, but there’s no doubt that he’s one of the most dangerous undrafted guys on the court simply because of his big performance. Coach Perricard is 4-2 so far this year with back-to-back quarterfinal appearances in Brisbane and Auckland. This is one of the funnest matchups in the entire round for a tough Unschi given Unspe’s outstanding first round. Perricard is working above his peak, the hot Baez may be able to break him from the back of the court in five sets.
Pick: Baez at 5
