"Fonseca can clearly be among the contenders" - Joao Fonseca touted to reach top five by Rick Macci, but still far off the big two

That same question surrounding who will step up and compete with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on a regular basis still has not been answered with the top two still miles ahead from the rest. 20-year-old Joao Fonseca has been in this conversation for some time but according to Rick Macci, the Brazilian still has a long way to go.

Fonseca has already made a huge impact on the ATP Tour in his first couple of years in action. Already racking up two ATP titles, he has managed to pick up some huge wins including against Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros in a thrilling two-set comeback.

His potential is huge and has been recognised by many tennis fans and analysists as he continues his development in the sport.

He is among a talented generation coming through and readying themselves for a shot at the top of the sport. The likes of Rafael Jodar and Arthur Fils have proven to be more successful on the big stage than Fonseca, but that has not stopped the hype around the Brazilian continuing.

Ranked 26th in the world, he reached a career high of 24th in the world at the end of last year and is still waiting for that ranking breakthrough with the top 20 and even top 10 beckoning soon.

Speaking to Tennis365, Macci was very certain that Fonseca could be among the top players in the future. "Fonseca can clearly be among the contenders," he said. "Many of these young players will likely end up in the top 5, especially given their age. But when you look at Sinner's level, it's hard to compete with him.

"He can hit very hard from both wings and string together high-quality shots. He can send the ball at nearly 130 km/h, again and again, while maintaining remarkable control from the baseline. Above all, he has a mental strength of steel. That's also why he's world No. 1. He has that essential quality, even if he may not have all the athletic qualities and variety of Carlos Alcaraz."

The conversation not just for Fonseca but for many of these young talents to reach the upper echelons of tennis is all dependant if they can find performances that are consistently as good as Alcaraz or Sinner.

The former Williams sisters coach admitted that Alcaraz could have the qualities to establish and cement his name at the top of tennis for years to come. "Alcaraz, for his part, has all the required qualities," he continued. "And with the level Sinner has shown, especially in 2026, it's extremely difficult to find a flaw in his game, whatever the surface.

"The only time he can occasionally get into trouble is when he has too many options and is looking for the best solution. But, ultimately, that's a luxury problem. Very often, his toughest opponent remains the one he faces in the mirror. It's not the opponent across the net."

In conclusion, there is still a huge gap between the top two and the rest of the tour. "These young players can obviously break into the top 5 and settle there temporarily. But, among those I currently see, none seems capable of consistently performing at the same level as Alcaraz and Sinner. They still lack something to compete with them over the long haul: slightly less polished footwork, a different physical quality, or an area of their game where they're a notch below. Alcaraz and Sinner, meanwhile, seem to have virtually no weaknesses in their repertoire."