Sousa's game is strongly based on his serve and forehand.
He is right-handed and plays with a two-handed backhand.
Sousa has said the forehand is his favourite shot and that he prefers playing on clay courts.
 He is known for expressing his emotions on court at times, often focusing on his coach or the umpire.
Andy Murray described Sousa as a tough opponent who never backs down from a fight, while Novak Djokovic called him a "tough" and mentally strong player who "takes the best out of the opponent".
Jamie Murray said Sousa has a "good forehand" and "likes playing on clay", despite his better results on hard courts.
He has been described as having the potential of becoming a top-20 player.

Sousa's game pattern has become more offensive-minded and consistent, and his game has evolved in recent years from playing on clay to becoming more proficient on other surfaces.
He won his first Challenger title on hard courts in July 2013 in his hometown Guimarães.
Later in September, Sousa went on an 8–1 run to cap his semifinal run at the 2013 St. Petersburg Open and win the title at the 2013 Proton Malaysian Open, both ATP tour hard-court indoor tournaments.
He continued his form on faster courts in 2014, with deep runs on grass courts at the 2014 Gerry Weber Open and Topshelf Open, and a final appearance in a hard court indoor tournament at the 2014 Moselle Open.
Despite a results slump on clay earlier in the season, he still achieved his first ATP tour-level final on clay at the 2014 Swedish Open, and, eventually triumphing in home turf at the 2018 Estoril Open.
Sousa's game is strongly based on his serve and forehand. He is right-handed and plays with a two-handed backhand. Sousa has said the forehand is his favourite shot and that he prefers playing on clay courts.  He is known for expressing his emotions on court at times, often focusing on his coach or the umpire. Andy Murray described Sousa as a tough opponent who never backs down from a fight, while Novak Djokovic called him a "tough" and mentally strong player who "takes the best out of the opponent". Jamie Murray said Sousa has a "good forehand" and "likes playing on clay", despite his better results on hard courts. He has been described as having the potential of becoming a top-20 player.
Sousa's game pattern has become more offensive-minded and consistent, and his game has evolved in recent years from playing on clay to becoming more proficient on other surfaces. He won his first Challenger title on hard courts in July 2013 in his hometown Guimarães. Later in September, Sousa went on an 8–1 run to cap his semifinal run at the 2013 St. Petersburg Open and win the title at the 2013 Proton Malaysian Open, both ATP tour hard-court indoor tournaments. He continued his form on faster courts in 2014, with deep runs on grass courts at the 2014 Gerry Weber Open and Topshelf Open, and a final appearance in a hard court indoor tournament at the 2014 Moselle Open. Despite a results slump on clay earlier in the season, he still achieved his first ATP tour-level final on clay at the 2014 Swedish Open, and, eventually triumphing in home turf at the 2018 Estoril Open.
João Sousa