Jannik Sinner gives verdict on Fonseca and Jodar hype

“I don’t know. Look, I cannot predict the future, you know,” Sinner said in response to the question during his post-match press conference.

“What I always believe is they’re all incredible talents. Being an athlete you always have a lot of pressure. My advice is always to keep the pressure as much as possible away from the present, even though I know it’s always going to be a lot of talk, you know, off the court.

“At the end of the day, you know, the player has to make the step forward, and then we see. But what he’s doing, it’s incredible. I wish him only the best.”

The term ‘big four’ was first termed during the earlier part of this century when Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray were dominating on the ATP Tour.

“But in the same time, don’t push him [Jodar] too much,” Sinner continued. “Because sometimes it’s getting into your head and it’s very tough to get out. He’s a very, very good kid; he has a great family behind him.

Rafael Jodar’s run in Madrid

Despite Wednesday night being just Jodar’s third-ever appearance at Masters 1000 level (won 1), his performance once again showed why so many have high hopes for his future.

Comparing the young talent in men’s tennis

Several players have started to make names for themselves as potential threats to the current dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Joao Fonseca and Rafael Jodar have shown they belong at this level, with Fonseca standing out for already picking up multiple ATP titles.

Arthur Fils has also made headlines since coming back from a long injury break in February. The 21-year-old Frenchman has reached at least the quarter-finals in six of his seven tournaments since returning.

Sinner has also mentioned Alexander Blockx as a player who might be flying under the radar. The 21-year-old Belgian is into the quarter-finals in Madrid, where he’ll face Casper Ruud for a place in the semis.