The ATP 1000 Miami Masters Presented by Itau is on its second day of competition. Yesterday the 38-year-old Gael Monfils became the oldest player to ever win a match at the ATP Miami Masters. Today we will get a glimpse of the future when the two teenagers Joao Fonseca (18) and Learner Tien (19), face each other. So will the two veterans Marcos Giron and Jordan Thompson do.
The Australian Jordan Thompson turned pro in 2013. The American Marcos Giron did it in 2014. Yet they have only squared off once before on the ATP Tour. The match in question was played in Sydney back in 2022, and Jordan won in two straight sets. Thompson is 30 years of age and was born in Sydney. Jordan has been grinding on the tour a lot and never gives up. He is a fighter. Thompson is ranked at the 37th position in the world. His highest ever was at number 26 in November of last year.
This is only the fourth entry of the season for Thompson. He played in Brisbane and lost to Dimitrov in the QF. Jordan had an early exit at the Australian Open. He lost to Nuno Borges in the second round of the event. Thompson had to deal with some injuries after that and did not play until the ATP 1000 Masters in Indian Wells. Jordan lost to Moutet in the opening round in the desert. So Thompson has only played six matches on the tour in 2025 and won three of them.
The 31-year-old Giron from Thousand Oaks, California, is ranked at the 45th spot in the world of tennis. Giron has played in five events so far in the 2025 season. He started the season by reaching the QF in Adelaide. Then Giron lost to Sinner in the round of 32 in Melbourne. Marcos got to the QF in Delray Beach and in Acapulco. Giron had a great run in Indian Wells, where he got to the round of 16. Giron has won ten and lost five matches so far this season on the ATP tour.
This could potentially be the matchup of the future in men’s tennis. The 18-year-old Fonseca has become something of a big talking point in the world of tennis. The hype is there, and it's real due to legitimate and solid reasons. The 19-year-old Tien has beaten two top 10 players already in the 2025 season (Medvedev and Zverev). Tien and Fonseca will play on the center court, which says a lot about the matchup’s potential.
The young Californian lost in the opening round in Hong Kong to start the 2025 season. Learner qualified for the Australian Open and reached the round of 16, where he lost to Sonego. Tien got to the second round at Delray Beach. Then he was able to qualify for the ATP 500 in Acapulco, where he got to the QF (lost to Machac). Tien lost in the opening round in Indian Wells. Learner has won six and lost five matches so far in the 2025 season. Tien is ranked at the 66th position in the world.
Joao and Learner have squared off on two occasions before. Both matches were played at the same event, which was the Next Gen ATP Finals late in 2024. Joao Fonseca won both encounters—one in the round robin and the second one was the final of the event. We have to remind ourselves that the Next Gen finals are played in a very different format than the one used on the ATP tour. So perhaps take it with a pinch of salt.
Fonseca, from Rio de Janeiro, is ranked at the 60th position in the world right now. He won the Next Gen Finals last year and has had a nice start to the 2025 season as well. Joao got to the second round in Melbourne as a qualifier (lost to Sonego). Fonseca went on to win his first title ever on the tour when he won in Buenos Aires (def. Cerundolo). Joao lost in the opening round in Rio De Janeiro and the second round in Indian Wells. Fonseca has won seven and lost four matches in 2025.
