Matteo Berrettini’s ex-coach designates ‘this’ player to rival Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in 2025
Matteo Berrettini's ex-coach says if Joao Fonseca finishes in the Top 30 in 2025, he will be among the top players of his generation.
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Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Vincenzo Santopadre (via Forbes/DNA da Bomber)
The 2024 season marked the end of the dominance of the Big 3 in tennis, with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz pioneering a new generation of players. Both players are looking forward to dominating the court next season, but Matteo Berrettini’s ex-coach, Vincenzo Santopadre, believes Joao Fonseca will rival them.
Fonseca established himself as potential for the future last year with his recent impressive displays on the court. The Brazilian then shocked the tennis world by winning the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah last week. The 18-year-old also became one of the three players to win the title as a teenager, following in the footsteps of Sinner and Alcaraz.
Since Alcaraz and Sinner won the title in 2021 and 2019, they have gone on to establish themselves in the Top 3 of the ATP rankings. Both players claimed all four Grand Slams in 2024, with Sinner winning the Australian Open and US Open, while Alcaraz won the French Open and Wimbledon.
Ahead of the 2025 season, several media pundits have predicted that the duo will dominate the tour this year. However, Vincenzo Santopadre has backed Fonseca to challenge the duo on the court.
Next season will not be the year of the “trinity” yet. Two more years, at least. Joao Fonseca has talent as far as the eye can see, a sea of talent, and he is growing, even quickly. He has a bit of Jannik and a bit of Carlitos. But he is still a child. You can see it in his eyes, you can see it in some of the reactions he has on the court. He has a good team, serious people. We have to give him time, he has to learn everything. If he finishes in the top thirty this year, he will be ready for the future leap.
Vincenzo Santopadre said via Tuttosport
Sinner and Alcaraz will headline the men’s singles at the Australian Open, while the Brazilian teenager ranked World No.145th in the ATP rankings will play the qualifying rounds. The Grand Slam tournament starts on January 12 in Melbourne.
Joao Fonseca aside, Vincenzo Santopadre believes Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will dominate the 2025 season
In 2024, Jannik Sinner dominated the men’s tennis winning eight titles, including the Australian Open and US Open. Also, the Italian ended the year with an excellent 73-6 win-loss record and World No.1. However, his rival, Carlos Alcaraz struggled to find consistency on the court although he won four titles.
He also began the season with a 3-4 down head-to-head record against Sinner but moved on to lead 6-4 by the end of 2024. During the aforementioned interview, Vincenzo Santopadre said that the two will dominate the 2025 season.
There is a dispute going on between the two. Friendly, but very serious, and it brings into play many aspects of today’s tennis. Continuity or talent? Solidity or Ping Pong Tennis? Application, study, planning. There is also the personal challenge. Sinner is thousands of points ahead in the rankings, but he [Alcaraz] has beaten the other three times. It seems like a promising line-up for a great show.
Vincenzo Santopadre added
Alcaraz and Sinner didn’t compete in any warm-up tournament ahead of the Australian Open. However, the former will be seeking to win the title and become the youngest player to achieve a Career Slam, while the latter will hope to defend the title.
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