The future’s bright: The (next) Next Gen stars thriving at AO 2025
- Patric Ridge
Australian Open 2025 is proving to be the tournament where the ATP’s next generation of stars are shining right here, right now.
AfterLearner Tien’s remarkable 6-3 7-6(4) 6-7(8) 1-6 7-6(7) defeat of AO 2024 runner-up Daniil Medvedev at Margaret Court Arena, three teenagers in the men’s singles draw have now shocked elite opponents.
MORE: All the results from AO 2025
Joao Fonseca defeated Andrey Rublev in the first round.Jakub Mensik downed Casper Ruud in the second.
Those triumphs make AO 2025 just the third Grand Slam since ATP rankings were first published in 1973 in which three teenagers, at the time the tournament started, have overcome top-10 ranked opponents.
The only two previous occasions such a feat has been achieved came at Roland Garros.
In 1990, there were wins for Sergi Bruguera, Goran Ivanisevic and Nicklas Kulti. In 2006, Gael Monfils, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal did the honours.
It is not bad company for Fonseca, Mensik and Tien to be keeping, and they are not the only youngsters impressing in Melbourne.
Of the eight ATP Next Gen Finals competitors in 2024, six made it through to the second round at AO 2025.
Fonseca won the Next Gen title and hisconvincing defeat of Rublev is one of the standout stories of AO 2025 so far. Carlos Alcaraz has backed the Brazilian to win a Slam, while Djokovic and Coco Gauff are admirers of his work.
He became the first teenager to defeat an ATP top-10 opponent in straight sets at a Grand Slam since Rublev himself overcame Grigor Dimitrov at the US Open in 2017, and just the second teenager – after Federer at Wimbledon 2002 – to beat a top-10 ranked opponent in their maiden major match.
READ: In-form Fonseca an AO 2026 qualifying threat
The 18-year-old drew a raucous crowd to 1573 Arena for his second-round tie, but lost in five sets to Lorenzo Sonego.
Mensik made it through, and a third-round win on Friday would make him just the fifth teenager in the past 20 years to reach the last 16 at their first three ATP-level events of a season, after Nadal (2006), Andy Murray (2007), Marin Cilic (2008) and Alcaraz (2023).
Arthur Fils, 20, has impressed too, while 19-year-old Alex Michelsen claimed a second career win over AO 2023 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round, and will face Karen Khachanov for a place in the last 16.
Nishesh Basavareddy left a lasting impression on Djokovic in the opening round, taking the first set and playing what the Serbian labelled as “lights-out tennis”.
Speaking onThe Sit Downpodcast in December, Michelsen, who trains with compatriot Tien in California, said: “You can see them as rivals because we’re close in age and I’ll probably play these guys plenty in the next 10 years. In the future, I think plenty of them will be my rivals.”
Michelsen compared Fonseca, meanwhile, to world No.1 Jannik Sinner.
“He’s going to be sick! He reminds me of a mini-Sinner. The way they hit the ball, you don’t come by it very often.”
Sinner is only 23, and Alcaraz is hunting a career slam at the age of 21. Holger Rune is another star in the making. While the generation of Rublev, Zverev and Medvedev and Co. have arguably failed to live up to their potential at the majors, that does not seem to be the case for the (next) Next Gen.
The record number of players aged 21 or under to reach an AO third round is nine, and the record for the fourth round is six, with both of those benchmarks set in 1991.
Six players in that age group have reached the third round this year – the future really is bright.
“The next generation of talent coming through is pretty special,” Nick Kyrgios said ahead of AO 2025.
They are proving him right.