Breaking through: get to know Jaime Faria, one of the rising stars of men’s tennis in 2025
An in-depth look at some of the hottest young players on the ATP Tour. No 6: Jaime Faria
Jaime Faria
Image Credit: Zuma / Psnewz
Jaime Faria is sitting at a career-high ranking of 87th in the world, and looks to be moving on an ever-upward trajectory.
Over the last six months, tennis fans have been given a glimpse of what the men’s game might look like in another 10 to 15 years, as a crop of future stars have surfaced to pique the imagination of fans everywhere. Yes, we know Jannik Sinner is just 23, and Carlos Alcaraz is still 21, but what about the fresh-faced youngsters who are already starting to surface as potential rivals to them?
Over the next few weeks, Tennis Majors will be shining a light on the new wave of young talent that started to show sings of a rise to prominence at this year’s Australian Open.
SEE THEM ALL HERE
Today we will look at Faria, a 21-year-old Portuguese who took a set off Novak Djokovic fits in the second round at this year’s Australian Open.
Who is jaime faria?
A 21-year-old from Lisbon, Jaime Faria has made his way up the rankings the hard way. He never cracked the top 100 in the junior rankings, but after a brilliant 2024 season on the futures and challenger curcuit, Faria put himself in position to do just that.
He won 52 matches and played seven final across all levels in 2024, and came up nearly 300 spots in the rankings.
This year he realised a lifelong dream by breaking the top 100 on Monday February 24. He jumped 20 points for reaching the quarter-finals in Rio, from 107 to 87.
What Defines Faria’s game?
Faria is an aggressive baseliner who can really belt the ball off of both wings. His backhand is extremely effective because he plays it down the line with power and precision. He really makes a lot of traction by pulling the trigger with his two-hander.
He also boasts good feel for the drop shot and his dropper is effective because he has the power that can keep opponents pegged behind the baseline.
He may come across as a pure power player, but Faria is well-rounded and rather evolved for his age. He can be better on serve and return, but he has the strokes to be effective on both and should improve rapidly with time and experience.
What are faria’s best achievements to date?
At Rio in 2025 Faria reached the quarter-finals and became the second man from Portugal to compete in an ATP 500 quarter-finals.
What are others saying about faria?
Djokovic had a close-up look at Faria after beating him in four sets at the Australian Open. “I think he was firing from all cylinders,” Djokovic said. “At one point he was difficult to play against because he was practically serving two first serves and going for his shots. Logically he was pumped when he won the second set.
“Congratulations to him for a great battle. He’s really a good player that has a lot of potential.”
How far can he go?
Faria is now the second Portuguese man inside the top 100 and it appears like he is not close to his ceiling. With limited experience on the ATP Tour, and just one ATP match win to his name, it’s hard to predict what his future will hold, but given how well he advanced through the Challenger circuit last year, he has a chance to take the next steps towards a top-50 ranking in 2025.
