Beat world No. 9 Casper Ruud in Davis Cup at age 20
Right-handed with a two-handed backhand, the Porto native rode a Challenger title in Brasília and a final in Santiago to a career-high No. 118 in spring 2026.
Career-High Rank
No. 118
20 APR 2026
Current Rank
No. 118
4 MAY 2026
Age
22
B. 6 APR 2004
Challenger Titles
4
PORTO, POR
Birthplace
Porto, Portugal
Hometown
Maia, Portugal
Height
180 cm (5'11")
Plays
Right-handed
Backhand
Two-handed
Best Slam
Roland Garros 3R (2025)
Rocha arrived at Roland Garros 2025 in the worst form of his young career — he had lost nine of ten matches, partly down to an abdominal injury — and left it a different player. He came through three rounds of qualifying, outlasted Nikoloz Basilashvili in five sets, then recovered from two sets down to beat Miami champion and 19th seed Jakub Menšík, becoming one of only a handful of Portuguese men ever to win a main-draw match in Paris. Alongside Nuno Borges he was part of the first Portuguese pair to reach the third round of the same Grand Slam.
"The good part is I feel good physically." — After winning two five-setters at Roland Garros 2025, rolandgarros.com
The points that made him a top-120 player came the following spring. In March 2026 he swept the singles and doubles titles at the Brasília Tennis Open on clay, then reached another Challenger final in Santiago the same South American swing. By 20 April 2026 he stood at a career-high No. 118 — the third-ranked Portuguese man, and part of the strongest generation his country has produced.
"Joao was always my reference and my idol in Portugal."
ON JOÃO SOUSA, ROLAND-GARROS 2025 · ROLANDGARROS.COM"It represents the work of the portuguese federation."
ON HIS ROLAND GARROS RUN, 2025 · ROLAND-GARROS OFFICIAL INTERVIEW"It's a nice story between us."
ON GROWING UP PRACTISING WITH NUNO BORGES · ROLANDGARROS.COM