The era of tennis legends is evolving. With icons like Roger Federer already retired and others like Rafael Nadal on the brink, the tennis community is turning its gaze toward the next generation of stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Among the rising talents is a young player from Brazil who, after years of idolizing Federer, is now seeking new inspirations on his journey to greatness.

Joao Fonseca has recently made his debut on the ATP circuit. 17-year-old tennis star made his tour-level debut at the Rio Open. While the tennis star gained a massive win to advance into the quarter-finals, his success was not limited to him, and gained support from the likes of Roger Federer. Fonseca too, had portrayed immense respect for the Swiss Maestro, but now, he seems to changing his attention.

After losing the Qualifier match against Alejandro Moro Canas 6-4,3-6,6(10)-7(12), the Brazilian opened up about his admiration for the new faces. While he acknowledged that Federer will always remain his idol, he admitted that he is now shifting his focus to the matches of World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and No.3 Carlos Alcaraz. “My idol is always gonna be Roger. Nowadays I look to Sinner and Alcaraz. They’re very young and play huge tennis.” Meanwhile, the bond between the tennis legend and Fonseca is not new. 

There was a time when Roger Federer managed to rise up to the top all by himself. While the tennis legend learned the value of support, he placed his bets on a young talent from Brazil. Earlier in 2023, the then-16-year-old received a deal from ‘ON,’ a sportswear company partly owned by the Swiss Maestro. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz also expressed his views on evolving faces in tennis. 

In a recent interaction, featured on the Tennis Channel, Alcaraz expressed great pride in holding the top position in the ATP ranking. He spoke about his views on Jannik Sinner and his holding the World No. 1 and No. 2 rankings respectively and said that it was much needed for the young generation. “I think Tennis, Tennis, needed that. Or I think so. The new generation or the young people, uh, standing in the top position, I think it’s something great. Having new faces in the top, uh for me, it’s something, its something, good for tennis.” Talking of Alcaraz, he is currently eyeing a title defense at Wimbledon.

“I am more mature…’ Carlos Alcaraz opens up on his plan for Wimbledon

The 21-year-old Spanish tennis star has not had a great season on the grass courts so far. He lost in the second round of the Queen’s Club championship to Jack Draper. However, his focus remains intact for his consecutive Grand Slam win after the French Open victory. Speaking in the pre-match conference of the Cinch Championship, Alcaraz revealed his confidence ahead of Wimbledon.

“I have more matches in my bank on grass and now with the great run I had last year at Queen’s and Wimbledon, I know a little bit on how to play and understand the game a little bit on grass.” While he highlighted the challenges he is facing on the surface, he demonstrated confidence in his skills. “I am more mature playing on this surface. The first practice I have done here, my movement wasn’t as good as last year but it is a slow process, so I have to be really focused in every practice and every match.”

As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see if Alcaraz and Sinner can continue their exceptional gameplay and amass new followers like Joao Fonseca!