Kuerten believes in Fonseca: "He has the potential to do better than me".

João Fonseca continues to impress at the Next Gen ATP Finals.

The 18-year-old Brazilian won all three of his group matches, including one against Arthur Fils, and will face France's Luca Van Assche this Saturday for a place in the final.

Speaking to the media this week, Fonseca, quarter-finalist at the ATP 500 in Rio last February, said that Gustavo Kuerten was one of his childhood idols.

For his part, the three-time French Open winner and former world number 1 replied in Exame magazine. In his opinion, Fonseca has a future in tennis and can achieve great things.

"João is a boy who is now attracting the attention of the whole world, not just Brazil.

My history with tennis ended a while ago, and now all he has to do is build his own. His potential is immense and his progress is meteoric.

It would be great to once again have a Brazilian athlete with great ambitions, as is the case with the women's Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Fonseca has the potential to do better than me. Of course, in sport, nothing is guaranteed, but the level João is reaching is already comparable to that of the best players," he asserted.