Joao Fonseca will not defend his Buenos Aires title following the second-round exit.
The young Brazilian faced Alejandro Tabilo and experienced a tight 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 defeat in two hours and 24 minutes.
Defeats 2024 champ in R1 ✔️
Defeats 2025 champ in R2 ✔️Alejandro Tabilo continues his great week in Buenos Aires, outlasting Fonseca 6-3 3-6 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals!#ArgOpen2026 pic.twitter.com/jfzJLc44Hh
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 12, 2026
The Chilean claimed four points more and prevailed with a late break in the decider en route to the quarter-final. It was another failure for Fonseca, who will try to make his first good result of the season at home in Rio de Janeiro.
Alejandro lost serve three times and generated 11 break points. He seized four to emerge at the top. Joao forged a slim advantage in the shortest exchanges, and his rival responded in the more advanced ones.
The young gun missed a forehand in the second game of the match and experienced an early break. Tabilo painted a backhand crosscourt winner in the fifth game to defend a break point and moved 4-1 in front.
Alejandro Tabilo, Buenos Aires 2026© X – IEB+ Argentina Open
After two holds at love, Fonseca stepped in on the return in the seventh game and landed a drop shot winner for a break at love, reducing the deficit to 4-3. However, he experienced another setback in the next one.
The Brazilian squandered game points in game eight and sprayed an error to suffer a break and fall 5-3 behind. Alejandro served for the set in game nine and landed a forehand down the line winner for 6-3 after 35 minutes.
A teenager denied a break point in the fifth game of the second set. He made a push on the return in the next one and landed a drop shot winner for a break and a 4-2 advantage.
The defending champion closed the seventh game after a deuce with a drop shot winner and drew the rival's mistake on a set point at 5-3 to close the set and introduce a decider after an hour and 21 minutes.
Joao Fonseca & Alejandro Tabilo, Buenos Aires 2026© Stream screenshot
Tabilo recovered at the beginning of the final set and generated five break points in the fourth game. Joao netted a routine forehand on the last, suffering a break and falling 3-1 behind.
A left-hander did not stay in front for too long. He netted a forehand in game five to bring his rival back to the positive side. They served well in the next six games, with the Chilean landing a backhand crosscourt winner in game 11 for a 6-5 lead.
Fonseca served to stay in the match in game 12 and faced a match point. He denied it with a forced error and wasted a game point after a wayward drop shot that failed to pass the net.
The Brazilain denied the second match point with a forehand winner before netting a backhand on the third to propel his rival over the top.
