Joao Fonseca and Rafael Jodar are marking the start of a new generation at this year’s French Open.
Fonseca and Jodar, both 19, became the fifth teenage duo in the last 40 years to advance to the quarterfinals of a men’s singles Grand Slam on Sunday.
The Brazilian, who knocked out Novak Djokovic in the third round, booked his place in the last eight by defeating two-time Roland Garros runner-up Casper Ruud in four sets.
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Meanwhile, Jodar advanced by coming back from two sets down against Spanish compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta.
The two stars have been tipped to challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the top of men’s tennis, but Coco Gauff’s former coach, Brad Gilbert, suggested Fonseca has a higher ceiling.
Brad Gilbert weighs in on Joao Fonseca and Rafael Jodar
Asked on the ‘Big T‘ podcast who is most likely to join Sinner and Alcaraz in a new-look big three between the two teenagers, Gilbert replied: “I feel like, honestly, that Jodar is going to need to add something to his team.
“It’s just his dad, dad is doing a good job, but they’re probably very soon going to need to add a physio, and he needs a coach and needs to get stronger physically.
“I feel like Fonseca’s already got a pretty big team, but if I was coaching him, I feel like at the moment he has more upside.
“I feel like if he improves his defence a little bit, a little more variety, I think he’s going to be quicker to win a Slam, and I would coach him first.”
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Former French Open semifinalist Andrea Petkovic added: “So for me, for Jodar, it’s one thing, when he is on the line and when he takes balls early, he’s one of the best four or five players in the world, it’s so evident.
“Not a single player, every match that I called of his when he’s doing that, not a single player has time to even decide what to do.
“They know I have to get him on the run, they know I have to change the rhythm, but you just don’t have time.
“The problem with him is, and I’ve seen it here against Michelsen and today against Pablo Carreno Busta, when he retreats back behind the baseline, he becomes average very quickly.”
Gilbert replied: “A little bit. He kind of plays like a poor man’s Zverev doing that.”
“Yes,” said Petkovic. “But Zverev moves great, right? Whereas Jodar is only 19 years old, and I mean, you can see it in his build.
“You know, he needs to go to the gym a little bit…It’s tough for me, I think they are very, I can see a big four even.
“I think that this could be really nice, I like this group a lot, and I think it’s going to be very exciting for the men’s future.”
Joao Fonseca and Rafael Jodar’s next opponents in Paris
Fonseca’s quarterfinal opponent comes in the form of Jakub Mensik, the 20-year-old Czech star who is also continuing to impress at such a young age.
Mensik has battled past Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev so far in the French capital, and will now take on Fonseca for the second time ever, a year and a half since their maiden clash at the 2024 Next Gen ATP Finals.
Jodar, on the other hand, will be faced with the new favourite at Roland Garros, Alexander Zverev.
With Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic both crashing out in the early stages, Zverev is now in pole position to clinch his first major crown.
The German has never faced Jodar on the ATP Tour before, however, and the two are set to do battle for the first time for a place in the French Open semifinals.
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