Carlos Alcaraz has already established himself as one of the top players on the ATP Tour at 21-years-old.
Alcaraz won the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time last week, which was his first title at ATP 1000 level in over a year.
The Spaniard had received some questions over his recent results, but Andy Roddick has defended Alcaraz after he beat Lorenzo Musetti in the final.
Not only was the Monte Carlo Masters the biggest title of his 2025 season so far, but it also means Alcaraz overtakes Alexander Zverev in the ATP rankings.
However, Alcaraz did not have it all his own way in Monte Carlo and was really put to the test by one young ATP star in particular.
Carlos Alcaraz picks three ‘incredible’ youngsters on the ATP Tour
In his quarter-final match at the Monte Carlo Masters, Alcaraz fought back to beat Arthur Fils in three sets.
Fils had three break points to give himself the opportunity to serve for the match, but he was unable to convert them and Alcaraz managed to take advantage.
Despite managing to overcome the Frenchman, Alcaraz has praised Fils’ game and believes that he will be competing for the biggest titles in sport.
The Spaniard also named Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik and Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca as two exciting up-and-coming players on the ATP Tour when speaking in his pre-tournament press conference at the Barcelona Open.
“Right now, tennis is in a great place,” said Alcaraz. “There are many young players capable of fighting for big things and competing for major titles. We’ve already seen it with Mensik, a player who will continue to grow but is already established.
“Joao Fonseca is another one I love to watch—he’s got a lot of charisma on court, and his tennis is incredible.
“I played against Arthur Fils for the first time in Monte Carlo and was amazed by his power and level. We’re at a point where there’s a wide range of young players competing and showing our strengths, and that’s something really special for our sport.”
Alcaraz has never played Fonseca or Mensik before, but fans are guaranteed to be engaged when those matches do eventually fall into place.
Who are the top 10 ATP players aged 21 and under?
Although Alcaraz has been talking about the next generation of ATP players, he is still only 21-years-old himself.
The Murcian has won four Grand Slam titles already, and is the only player aged 21 and under currently ranked in the top 10.
Holger Rune, who recently suffered food poisoning, has previously been as high as world number four and has recently shown some signs of that form after reaching the Indian Wells final.
Some of the other rising stars that Alcaraz did not mention who are in the top 100 of the ATP rankings include big serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, American Alex Michelsen, Juncheng Shang, Learner Tien and Hamad Medjedovic.
| ATP Player Aged 21 and under | Age | ATP Ranking | |
| 1 | Carlos Alcaraz | 21 | No.2 |
| 2 | Holger Rune | 21 | No.13 |
| 3 | Arthur Fils | 20 | No.14 |
| 4 | Jakub Mensik | 19 | No.23 |
| 5 | Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard | 21 | No.34 |
| 6 | Alex Michelsen | 20 | No.38 |
| 7 | Joao Fonseca | 18 | No.59 |
| 8 | Juncheng Shang | 20 | No.61 |
| 9 | Learner Tien | 19 | No.69 |
| 10 | Hamad Medjedovic | 21 | No.72 |
What is noticeable is that three of these players, Alcaraz, Medjedovic and Fonseca, have all won the ATP Next Gen Finals tournament.
Alcaraz will actually play his first match at the Barcelona Open against another 21-year-old in American Ethan Quinn, who has risen over 200 places in the ATP rankings since the start of 2024 after transitioning from college tennis.
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