Alejandro Davidovich Fokina has tipped Joao Fonseca to reach the top of tennis, saying the Brazilian will become the next Novak Djokovic and beat Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The comments came after Fonseca defeated Davidovich Fokina in last year's Swiss Indoors final.
Fonseca wins Swiss Indoors, earns high praise
The Swiss Indoors is underway, but last year's finalists will not be in action this time. Defending champion Joao Fonseca ended his season early due to injury, while runner-up Alejandro Davidovich Fokina pulled out of the tournament because of illness.
Twelve months ago, Fonseca beat the eighth seed 6-3 6-4 to lift his second career title when he was still a teenager. During his runner-up speech, Davidovich Fokina was full of praise for his Brazilian rival.
“You played unbelievable tennis today,” Davidovich Fokina told Fonseca. “You are the person of this sport. You have a bright future for sure. You’re gonna be the next Nole, and beat Carlos [Alcaraz] and Jannik [Sinner] for sure.”
Fonseca stuns Djokovic at French Open
At that point, Alcaraz and Sinner looked unstoppable. They were thousands of points clear of their rivals at the top of the rankings and had shared the last eight Grand Slam titles. Fonseca has since proven himself on the biggest stages.
The world No. 40 stunned Djokovic at the French Open in May, pulling off an incredible comeback to beat the 24-time Major champion 4-6 4-6 6-3 7-5 7-5 in the third round. It was just the second time in Djokovic's career that he had lost from two sets up.
Injuries derail Fonseca's season
Fonseca's season has since been derailed by injuries. He withdrew from the Cincinnati Open in August with an abdominal issue, which later forced him out of the US Open. The 20-year-old made a short-lived comeback in September, winning one Davis Cup match, but skipped the entire Asian swing.
Earlier this month, Fonseca ended his season altogether. “The goal was to return in time to defend my title in Basel and finish the year at the Paris Masters,” he said on social media. “However, my team and I realised that I am still not in ideal condition to compete at the level I would like, and that there is no need to rush my return. Therefore, we decided to prioritise my recovery and focus on planning for 2027.”
Davidovich Fokina finds success; Alcaraz and Sinner struggle
Davidovich Fokina has also enjoyed success since losing that championship match in Basel. The Spaniard famously went 0-5 in his first five career finals, but he finally broke his duck this year. The world No. 15 lifted his first career title in Mallorca in June, but got injured and spent two-and-a-half months sidelined, also missing the US Open. He won his comeback tournament in Chengdu last month and then followed it up by winning the biggest title of his career at the Shanghai Masters.
As for Alcaraz and Sinner, 2026 did not pan out as many had envisioned. Both men suffered major injury setbacks this year. Alcaraz spent almost five months out, missing Wimbledon and the US Open, but has since made a successful comeback. Sinner has not played since defending his Wimbledon title in July, and a knee injury has ended his season altogether.
