Under 21 and already full of talent: from Joao Fonseca (18 years old) to Jakub Mensik (19 years old) via Alex Michelsen (20 years old), the “NextGen” of world tennis has scalped several seeded players at the Australian Open.
. Fonseca on his way to the summit
Winner at the end of December of the NextGen ATP Finals, the tournament which brought together the eight best players under 21 from last season in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Joao Fonseca has been unstoppable ever since.
In nine matches played in 2025, the Brazilian has not conceded a single set and his first round of the Australian Open, against world number 9 Andrey Rublev, was no exception. Coming from qualifying, Fonseca won on Tuesday 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 7-6 (7/5).
“The way he played his first Grand Slam match, against his first Top 10, it’s incredible,” reacted world No.3 Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday.
Brazilian Joao Fonseca during his match against Russian Andrey Rublev in the first round of the Australian Open, in Melbourne, January 14, 2025
WILLIAM WEST – AFP
On Wednesday, the Brazilian received the anointing from star Novak Djokovic, impressed by “everything he has done over the past year.”
“I love the way he plays the important points. He is courageous, he hits very cleanly, he is a complete player,” added the winner of 24 Grand Slam tournaments, seeing in Fonseca the heir to Gustavo Kuerten , three-time winner of Roland-Garros (1997, 2000, 2001).
Facing Rublev, the 112th player in the world particularly impressed with the power of his shots, for example with a winning forehand delivered at 181km/h, the fastest since the start of the tournament.
“He’s someone I’m going to have to keep an eye on. It’s only the start of the year, just one victory in a Grand Slam match, but soon we’ll have to put +Joao Fonseca+ on the list of the best players of the world,” warned Alcaraz.
. Michelsen and Mensik on their way
American Alex Michelsen after his victory against Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round of the Australian Open, in Melbourne, January 13, 2025
WILLIAM WEST – AFP
42nd player in the world, Alex Michelsen had already reached the third round in Melbourne in 2024, eliminated by Alexander Zverev. This year, he struck hard from the start eliminating the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, seeded N.11, in four sets (7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4).
“Perhaps it’s a tournament that brings me luck. It’s the only place where I reached the third round in a Grand Slam or Masters 1000”, underlined Michelsen after his victory, he who had already beaten the Greek in Tokyo last September.
With a second round within his reach against Australian guest James McCabe (258th), the 20-year-old American can hope to match his performance from last year.
One year his junior, Jakub Mensik (48th) joined the third round of the 2024 US Open, after eliminating the Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime (23rd) in the first round.
Czech Jakub Mensik in the second round of the Australian Open against Casper Ruud, in Melbourne, January 15, 2025
Adrian DENNIS – AFP
In Melbourne, the Czech also showed his power and physical qualities to win against the Norwegian Casper Ruud (6th) on Wednesday in four sets 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, and tie his performance last summer at Flushing Meadows.
“It’s great that there is always new blood. We can see that tennis is evolving, that there are new names in the tournaments,” said Mensik, also saying he was pushed by the performances. of Joao, Alex and the others of the NextGen”.
. 7/8 in the first round
With seven of the eight players present at the NextGen Finals represented in the first round of the Australian Open, the new generation of world tennis was there in Melbourne.
Like Mensik, the French Arthur Fils (20 years old, 21st in the world) qualified on Wednesday for the third round for the first time in his career in Melbourne after his victory against his compatriot Quentin Halys (74th).
American Nishesh Basavareddy in the first round of the Australian Open against Novak Djokovic, in Melbourne, January 13, 2025
DAVID GRAY – AFP
On Thursday, the American Learner Tien (19 years old, 121st) will also try to reach the third round, but will have a hard time facing Daniil Medvedev (5th), finalist in three of the last four editions of the Australian Open.
Eliminated from the start by Djokovic (7th), ten-time winner in Melbourne, Nishesh Basavareddy (19 years old, 107th) was not unworthy, snatching the first set from the Serbian ogre.
The Chinese Shang Juncheng (19 years old, 50th) threw in the towel after a set and a half against the injured Alejandro Davidovich.
By Damien GAUDISSART, with Baptiste DEDIEU in Paris / Melbourne (AFP) / © 2025 AFP
