Preview: US Open: Joao Fonseca vs. Tomas Machac - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

Joao Fonseca and Tomas Machac face off in a potentially exciting second-round match at the US Open on Wednesday.

Both players secured straight-sets victories in their tournament openers, with the Brazilian teenager defeating Miomir Kecmanovic and Machac comfortably beating Luca Nardi in just over an hour to set up their first meeting on the ATP Tour.

Match preview

Fonseca was rewarded for his aggressive style in his US Open debut victory on Monday, defeating Kecmanovic 7-6(3), 7-6(5), 6-3 in two hours and 26 minutes.

Having failed to come through qualifying last year, the occasion in round one did not overawe the 19-year-old; instead, he hit the ball fiercely whenever he could and served accurately, highlighted by his 51 winners and zero double faults, while landing 62% of first serves and winning 63% of his second serves.

Although he committed more unforced errors — 32-24 — his 51 winners were twice his Serbian opponent's 25, emphasising his control of the match.

By also securing Monday's win, Fonseca has now continued his streak of not losing in the first round of any Grand Slam, at least in the early stages of his career.

Fresh off completing his sweep of all first-round matches in 2025, Fonseca now aims to reach the third round of his third consecutive major after doing the same at the French Open and Wimbledon.

On the opposite side of the net is Machac, whose performance to beat Luca Nardi in one hour and 20 minutes was unexpected, given his form before the tournament.

The world No. 22 entered the final Slam of 2025 on a three-match losing streak and after losing four of his previous five matches, highlighting his struggles before beating the Italian 6-3, 6-1, 6-1.

The Czech player won the title in Acapulco in March, his first on the tour, but results since then have been varied to poor.

The 24-year-old lost to Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz, Novak Djokovic and Denis Shapovalov early in the season, but early exits were uncommon.

Since winning the Acapulco crown, the all-action Machac has achieved back-to-back victories just twice, with both sets of consecutive wins occurring three months apart — March and June.

If Monday's victory over Nardi is a sign of things to come, then the No. 21 seed should be optimistic about his chances against Fonseca ahead of a potential all-Czech clash with Jakub Mensik in the third round, should Mensik defeat qualifier Ugo Blanchet.

Tournament so far

Joao Fonseca:

First round: vs. Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6(3) 7-6(5) 6-3

Tomas Machac:

First round: vs. Luca Nardi 6-3 6-1 6-1

Head To Head

Wednesday's exciting match between Fonseca and Machac marks their first encounter on the ATP Tour.

The Czech player has a 16-9 record in 2025 against players ranked No. 41 and lower, which might give him an advantage against the No. 45-ranked opponent if considering rankings alone.

However, four of Machac's nine losses to such opponents have occurred since the grass season, potentially giving Fonseca some grounds for optimism.

We say: Fonseca to win in four sets

The second-round contest between Machac and Fonseca is hard to predict due to Machac's recent win over Nardi, despite previously struggling to find momentum.

On the other hand, Fonseca has beaten four of his last five higher-ranked opponents on the tour, including three consecutive victories against Jacob Fearnley, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (although after the Spanish player's retirement) and Kecmanovic.

Given the Brazilian teenager's recent successes against players ranked above him, we predict Fonseca to beat Machac in four close sets.