Novak Djokovic warns Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz of ‘these’ three players potentially knocking on their doors in the future

Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz have shared the World No.1 ranking between late 2022 till 2025.

Novak Djokovic warns Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz of ‘these’ three players potentially knocking on their doors in the future

Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (Images via X)

Novak Djokovic has named three young ATP players who he believes will challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in the future. The Serbian sees them as rising stars with great potential.

Djokovic advanced to the last 16 of the Miami Open with a 6-1, 7-6(1) win over world No. 65 Camilo Ugo Carabelli. As the No. 4 seed, he will now face Lorenzo Musetti, who is ranked 16th. He is aiming for his seventh Miami Open title, his last coming in 2016.

He’s [Joao Fonseca’s] a very entertaining player to watch, but he’s not the only one. There’s also Mensik. Perhaps, because people talk so much about Fonseca, they forget about Mensik. They are the same age. There’s also Tien: all these players are very young, but they are already as good as their rankings suggest.

Novak Djokovic said in his post-match press conference (H/T: Punto de Break)

World No. 1 Sinner is missing the tournament due to a suspension until May 4 for failing two doping tests in 2024. World No. 3 Alcaraz suffered an early exit, losing to David Goffin in his first match.

He’s a fantastic player to watch. I’m not sure if I should call it a product of the new, new generation. It’s fantastic to see players emerging who have the potential to reach the highest levels and lead this sport. It’s clear that Sinner and Alcaraz are the leaders of today, they are still very young, but these guys seem like they could knock on their doors in the coming years.

Novak Djokovic added

Djokovic praised 18-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca for his strong performances in Miami. He also mentioned 19-year-olds Jakub Mensik and Learner Tien as exciting young talents to watch.

Novak Djokovic’s greatest Masters 1000 achievements

Former World No.1 Novak Djokovic continues to break records in tennis. His recent 6-1, 7-6(1) win over Camilo Ugo Carabelli at the Miami Open marked his 411th victory in a Masters 1000 event. This achievement puts him ahead of Rafael Nadal for the most wins in this tournament category.

Novak Djokovic (4)
Novak Djokovic (Image via Novak Djokovic’s X account)

Djokovic also holds the record for the most Masters 1000 titles, with 40 trophies. His latest title at this level came in 2023 when he defeated Grigor Dimitrov in the Paris Masters final. He has also played the most Masters 1000 finals, reaching 59 championship matches throughout his career.

In addition, Djokovic has played the most Masters 1000 semi-finals, with 78 appearances. He equaled Nadal’s record of 76 at the 2023 Paris Masters and surpassed it in 2024. His best season came in 2015 when he won six Masters 1000 titles, reached eight finals, and won 39 matches in this format.

One of Djokovic’s greatest achievements is completing the “Career Golden Masters.” He is the only player in history to win all nine Masters 1000 tournaments. He completed this feat in 2018 by winning the Cincinnati Open and did it again in 2020, becoming the first player to achieve it twice.

Jannik Sinner benefits from Miami upsets

The biggest name in this year’s “Sunshine Double” is not someone playing but someone missing. Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1, is absent from the first two ATP Masters 1000 events of the season. Despite this, he remains the top player in men’s tennis.

Jannik Sinner (8)
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

Jack Draper made headlines by winning Indian Wells, showing he is ready to challenge the best. Meanwhile, Brazilian youngster Joao Fonseca is exciting fans with his powerful game in Miami. However, Carlos Alcaraz is struggling, suffering surprising losses to Draper in Indian Wells and David Goffin in Miami.

Draper’s momentum was short-lived as he lost early in Miami to 19-year-old Jakub Mensik. Holger Rune also failed to build on his strong Indian Wells run, falling to Reilly Opelka. With so many unexpected results, the Miami draw is wide open for new names to reach the later rounds.

Despite his suspension, Sinner remains the most consistent player in men’s tennis. His dominant Australian Open win earlier this year added to his strong reputation. He is expected to return in May at the Italian Open, ready to continue his winning ways.