Arthur Fils vs Joao Fonseca Prediction Next Gen Finals Tennis Picks 12/18/24

Arthur Fils is the top seed at the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals. He is the race leader and the highest-ranked player in this year's field.

Fils amassed 2355 points in a career-best season that saw him touch the world's Top 20 for the first time. He's won two titles, both at the ATP 500 level, upsetting Alexander Zverev in the Hamburg final and countryman Ugo Humbert in the Tokyo final.

Fils has posted a 5-2 record on indoor hard courts in 2024, losing in the round of 16 of his most recent tournament in Paris-Bercy to eventual winner Zverev.

The 20-year-old was a runner-up in the last edition of the Next Gen Finals after completing an unbeaten run in the group stage but lost to Hamad Medjedovic in the final.

Joao Fonseca Preview

Joao Fonseca has joined some of his contemporaries in foregoing college tennis in order to pursue a career at a professional level. And that decision appears to be the right one so far, with Fonseca making slow but steady progress.

At only 18, he's broken into the world's Top 150 and enjoyed a memorable run to his first ATP quarterfinal in his home city of Rio de Janeiro in late February, where he beat Fils en route. 

Fonseca's success has come at the Challenger level where he predominantly plies his trade. He won his first title in the ATP's second tier in Lexington in early August and has posted a 6-4 record on indoor hard courts this year.

This will be his first participation at the Next Gen ATP Finals. 

Arthur Fils vs Joao Fonseca Head-To-Head

• Joao Fonseca overpowered Arthur Fils 6-0, 6-4 in their only career meeting at the 2024 Rio Open.

Arthur Fils vs Joao Fonseca Prediction

Fonseca is the youngest player in this year's field and his participation will add a bit of intrigue and massive following particularly from his native Brazil after becoming his country's first player to qualify for this tournament.

Fils has a score to settle though after losing quite resoundingly to the youngster back in February. But in truth, Fils' form on the South American clay was unspectacular. He regained his mojo during the season and will thirst for this title. Give me Fils for an opening group-stage win.