Joao Menezes's

Brazilian tennis player Joao Menezes was born on 17 December 1996 in Uberaba, Brazil. His father and grandfather were avid players of tennis. In fact, Joao’s parents Fernanda and Fabiano, doctors by profession, also connected through tennis.

As a kid, Joao used to accompany his father and grandfather to the clay courts, where they played tennis. The young lad remembers to build sandcastles in the clay, watching them play. By the age of six, Joao was ready to take up the tennis racket to learn the game. 

After learning the basics, Joao travelled to Spain for professional-level training during 2017-18. But before that, he had participated in the 2014 US Open and a few Futures tours. 

His achievements include the ATP Challenger title at 2019 Samarkand Challenger, 12 ITF Futures accolades, and the gold medal won at the 2019 Pan American Games. 

The gold medal Menezes achieved helped him raise his popularity immensely. Many Brazilians watched his match live and got to know about him. His Instagram followers shot up from 2000 to 16,000 in just a span of three days. 

While growing up, Joao admired Brazilian tennis player and former world no.1 Gustavo Kuerten. Currently, he takes his inspiration from Spanish tennis ace Rafael Nadal. 

Furthermore, Joao also loves a good game of football. He not only watches football matches but also supports Uberaba Sports Club of Brazil. His favourite novel is A Song of Ice and Fire, which is the adaptation of the Game of Thrones series.