That’s because while the ATP Tour’s upper echelons have been defined by twentysomething Grand Slam winners Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in the last few years, the sport’s relentless pace means that the new wave of Fonseca, Mensik, Tien and more are already coming up behind them—ready to lead the “new, new, new generation”, as Djokovic called them.
For Brazil, a country who has been eagerly awaiting for a successor to three-time Grand Slam winner Gustavo Kuerten since his retirement in 2008, that wave can’t hit soon enough.
“I think it’s exciting, what… the ‘new, new, new generation’ is bringing,” Djokovic said. “It’s always great that you have exciting players to watch and see the players that have potential to reach the greatest heights and to carry this sport.
“Obviously, Sinner and Alcaraz are the leaders of today, still very young. But then these guys, it seems like they (will be) knocking on the door of Sinner and Alcaraz in the years to come.”
Djokovic, the No. 4 seed, will face No. 15 Lorenzo Musetti for a place in the Miami Open quarterfinals on Tuesday.