João Fonseca has fun with Del Potro and Roddick and receives 'congratulations' from the US Open crowd

João Fonseca celebrated his birthday with a difference on Thursday. Amid preparations for the US Open , the Brazilian tennis player stood on Center Court alongside figures like Juan Martín Del Potro and Andy Roddick and was surprised with a giant "Happy Birthday" from the crowd that nearly filled Artur Ashe Stadium.

"Today is your birthday, João. And today we're going to see what it would be like to sing happy birthday with the help of 23,000 people," said the presenter, before singing "Happy Birthday" with the help of Del Potro.

Fonseca turned 19 on Thursday, the very day he played a warm-up exhibition for the US Open. He teamed up with Del Potro and together they defeated Roddick and the young American Alex Michelsen. The match consisted of a match tiebreak, won 11-9, amid other performances throughout the night.

A very special birthday at Ashe pic.twitter.com/KexsXrQxQr

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 22, 2025

During his match, Fonseca had fun on the court, making Roddick run and making the crowd laugh with exaggerated groans with every hit. The players wore microphones during the match so they could chat and joke with the crowd during the performances.

Before heading to the court, Fonseca received a surprise from the tournament organizers: a tray of cupcakes complete with candles, which he blew out to celebrate his birthday. "I wanted to eat them all, but I can't," joked the Brazilian.

What do I say Delpo? Que lo haga el chavito pic.twitter.com/enKXod3u8G

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 22, 2025

Throughout the day, Fonseca received small tributes from tennis organizations. The Davis Cup and Tennis TV profiles posted videos on social media featuring some of the Brazilian's best moments. Over the course of 10 minutes, Tennis TV selected what it called the Rio native's "supersonic forehands."

With no date set for his US Open debut, Fonseca will face Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round. Currently ranked 44th in the world, the Brazilian will face the 45th-ranked player.