In Focus: Alex Michelsen
In Focus: Alex Michelsen
Joao Fonseca is set to make history this week in Jeddah, where he will become the first Brazilian to compete at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF.
The 18-year-old may have a big future ahead of him on the ATP Tour, but he is also clear about which past Grand Slam classic sticks most in his memory. Earlier this year, Fonseca spoke to ATPTour.com about his wish to change the outcome of that match, his off-court hobbies and more.
[ATP APP] If you could have dinner with any three people in history, who would they be?
I would say Roger [Federer]. I’ve not met Roger yet, but he’s my idol in tennis. [Basketballer] Kobe Bryant: his type of play, it was incredible. Then I would say my dad, because he would help me to ask about the things I want to ask, but which are difficult to express sometimes in English.
If you could switch places with one person in the world for a day, who would it be?
A difficult question. I don’t want to say Roger, I want to say a person not in tennis. Maybe someone in soccer, like Cristiano Ronaldo. I could also say Neymar, maybe because he’s Brazilian, but probably Ronaldo.
Is there any particular match that you remember watching from years gone by on TV, that you wish you could have played?
The one in 2019, when Roger had match point against [Novak] Djokovic at Wimbledon. I wish I would be Roger, so I could make an ace at 40/15 [on championship point]. I want to change history!
What’s something cool you’ve done off the court because of being a tennis player?
At the Rio Open, I visited a programme that works with people from the favela. Humble people that don’t have a lot of money and it teaches them how to play tennis. And when they saw me, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m just a guy that is your age’, just trying to help and teach tennis. That was very nice for me. And for me, that was a very special day. I helped a lot of kids, to help inspire them to play tennis.
And what are your biggest off-court hobbies?
I’ve loved to play sports since I was a kid. I’d say that until I was 11 or 12, I played all sports. I live near the beach, so I surfed, I climbed with my dad, I cycled a lot also. I played soccer too, so I liked to play as many sports as I could. My mum was a volleyball player, so I also played volleyball, which I loved. So that’s my hobby too. In my days off I like to play some sports.
You get to travel a lot in tennis. If there’s one place you could visit anywhere in the world not for a tennis tournament, where would it be?
I would say Japan or maybe Greece. Greece is nice.
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Slight in frame but big in game, Jannik Sinner has conquered the tennis world in 2024, winning two majors and becoming the first Italian to rise to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
#NextGenATP Czech Jakub Mensik has been a long-term admirer of Sinner and standing at 6’4″ and slim in build, the 19-year-old sees himself in the former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion.
Speaking to ATPTour.com as part of our Next Gen influences series, Mensik discusses Sinner’s game, his relationship with Czech legend Tomas Berdych and more.
[ATP APP]Which former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion do you most identify with?
The new generation is coming. With Sinner, Alcaraz and all of these young players, when I was practicing or trying to reach the ATP Tour, I saw they reached the level and it helps to see that. The game is always moving on and all the former Next Gen players, me and the other younger players are bringing something new.
I like Sinner. A tall player like me and he is still moving so well. It is similar to me in my opinion because I’m already tall and I can move well on the court. With the forehand, I have a similar technique and style to Jannik. I can’t be like Alcaraz because he’s smaller and stronger. I’m the guy who is skinnier. When you see a lot of tall guys now, they have a big serve and big weapons weapons. My serve is also a very big weapon.
Read more from our Influences series
Which former Next Gen champion did you enjoy watching most when growing up?
All of them because when you see the Next Gen Finals, it’s a big event. I think that a lot of the past champions are already at the top of the ATP Tour. I think Jannik [Sinner] was one of the first winners and he was also my age when he played the event and was at the same level as me when he played the event and is now the best player in the world. It’s nice to also watch the new players trying to bring something fresh to tennis.
Who have been your biggest other influences?
In my hometown, Tomas Berdych was practising all the time and when I started to play tennis, he was at his best level, so I started because of him. I watched him when I was at home. Then we had the Big 3 at the time and my favourite was Novak [Djokovic]. He is my idol.
Can you remember the first time you met Djokovic?
I think I was playing juniors at the US Open in 2021. I saw all of the players here. When I came to practise he was walking to do some fitness, so I saw him for 10 minutes and it was an unforgettable memory because I started basically because of Tomas Berdych, but Novak too as he was my idol. I watched him on the TV and the time I saw him for the first time was a wow moment.
What have you learned this past year on Tour?
That it is not about just victories. My motto is, we don’t lose. I knew at the beginning that it would be super difficult on the Tour. Every day, every week, you’re basically losing because at the end of the tournament there can be only one winner, one champion and it’s always like this. It is very tough to stay in week in and week out to be the champion. That’s the point of trusting the process. Working hard every day and be the best I can and then one day you will be the champion.
How influential have your parents been?
I have to say that from the beginning of my career, when I started with tennis, it was always my dad and I. All the time I had great people around me. Without my parents, I wouldn’t be here because they really support me. I’m really glad that I have them. It was my first coach first tennis coach who really showed me what tennis is. How to play and he basically showed me how to how to fall in love with tennis. Now my current coach, without him it would be impossible to be here. If it is family, coaches, my team, physio, fitness, everybody, we have a great spirit. That is key to be relaxed and play your best tennis.
What sort of attributes do you look for when bringing people into your team?
They need to push me forward. Because every time we visit these places, they say, ‘Look, you are here.’ Obviously they then have to push me forward to help me achieve my goals.
In celebration of its 40th anniversary, discover the story of how ‘Last Christmas’ was born
With a special recording of Macnificent, his latest worldwide sold-out show
On Thursday, the Carlos Alcaraz Foundation officially opened its Los Pies en la Tierra (Ones Feet on the Ground) exhibition, which seeks to highlight the importance of equal opportunities for children.
On an emotional evening on the patio of the Carcel Vieja building, where the exhibition can be visited free of charge from 14 December to 15 February, Los Pies en la Tierra was inaugurated at an event that was attended by Carlos Alcaraz, Beatriz Garfia, the foundation’s director, and Jose Ballesta, the mayor of Murcia.
Los Pies en la Tierra is a call for all citizens to take pause for thought. Through the story of the life of Alcaraz, a boy with a normal childhood which allowed him to follow his path and chase his dreams, the exhibition underlines the fact that very close by there are many boys and girls who are much less fortunate, faced with obstacles that hinder their development and condition the rest of their lives.
[ATP APP]“I was just like any other kid, growing up in El Palmar, in an average family, running around in the park with his friends, who went to the local school, without enjoying any luxuries,” said Alcaraz. “I was passionate about sport and tennis in particular, but it was a very normal childhood. Today we are here, feeling very fortunate and grateful and we would like to do our part by taking action for children.”
“The goal of this exhibition is to show a reality, that of a very challenging childhood. It is a reality that to us may be invisible or distant, but in fact it is very close. This is about raising awareness of that, of the importance of this stage of human life,” said Beatriz Garfia, the foundation’s director. “And because, individually or collectively, we have a lot to say, we have the capacity to influence. Every small gesture counts and can make the difference to children’s lives.”
After Alcaraz officially opened the exhibition by cutting the ribbon, which was symbolically hanging over a tennis net, guests had the opportunity to enjoy a guided tour of the exhibition, led by the tennis player himself and his family.
Los Pies en la Tierra was conceived for visitors of all ages, and it provides an interactive experience through video games, activities, and questions. It includes some of Alcaraz’s most important trophies as well as a few surprise items the tennis player has donated.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]To mark the end of the 2024 season, ATPTour.com highlights five moments to remember from the ATP Challenger Tour season.
Schwaerzler’s historic ‘surprise’
#NextGenATP Joel Schwaerzler entered the record books at the Macedonian Open, where he became just the fourth player to win a title at that level while holding the junior No. 1 ranking. Nick Kyrgios, Taylor Fritz and Wu Yibing also accomplished the feat.
“I was kind of surprised,” Schwaerzler said. “I knew I could win matches there but to actually win the tournament is something different.”
The 18-year-old, who won this year’s Roland Garros boys’ doubles event alongside Norway’s Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, finished the season at No. 330 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Schwaerzler is the fourth-youngest Austrian winner in ATP Challenger Tour history.
Mejia wins Challenger title in memory of late father
Nearly seven years on since his father’s passing, Mejia celebrated a career milestone in April, when he won his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Following his triumph, Mejia was enthusiastic, yet emotional, as he pointed to the sky. “Papá, papá,” he uttered.
“Every single day that goes by, I mention him, I think about him, I dream about him in my sleep because I think about him the whole time,” said the No. 219 player in the PIF ATP Rankings. “It’s been the toughest battle for me to realise and know that he is physically gone forever. I feel that he’s close to me every single day of my life. That’s one thing that will keep me going forever because that strength he gave me is unconditional.
“I think when I lifted the trophy, I was also looking to the sky as a sign of relief… I wanted to look at my dad, obviously pointing the trophy to him.” Read ATPTour.com’s feature: Mejia wins Challenger title in memory of late father: ‘The pain never goes away’.
<img alt=”Nicolas Mejia at age eight alongside his father Gustavo.” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/04/03/18/18/mejia-gustavo-1-2024.jpg” />
Nicolas Mejia at age eight alongside his father Gustavo. Credit: Mejia Family
Rwanda Challenger reflects hope & healing of a nation
This year marked 30 years since the Rwanda genocide, an atrocity that claimed an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 lives. As the central African country continues to recover and rebuild, tennis is playing a small but important part of the healing process. The ATP Challenger Tour spent two weeks (26 February-10 March) in the capital city Kigali, making Rwanda the seventh African country to host an event at that level.
Rather than trying to erase the dark chapter from history, the tournament adopted an alternative approach: promoting education and honouring the fallen through visits to the Kigali Genocide Memorial. More than 20 players visited the memorial.
“Rwanda took a risk to organise the first big tournament in this part of the world,” tournament director Arzel Mevellec said. “It’s a very important symbol. Rwanda is a small country but with big events now. Soccer, NBA Academy Africa, and now Rwanda is on the world map of tennis and I think that’s the beginning of something huge. Rwanda can be proud about that.”
Rwanda is the seventh African country to host an ATP Challenger Tour event. Credit: Rwanda Tennis Federation
Champions hailing from college ranks
The college pathway continues to be a vital stepping stone for many players to find success on the ATP Challenger Tour and beyond.
A single-season record 27 different players with college tennis experience won titles this year, led by four-time winner Jacob Fearnley, who helped TCU capture the 2024 NCAA D1 men’s tennis championship in May before making quick progress on the Challenger Tour. The four-time ITA All-American finished the season at No. 99 in the PIF ATP Rankings, a vast improvement upon his No. 646 ranking at the start of the year.
The 2023 NCAA singles champion Ethan Quinn captured his maiden Challenger title in Champaign, his final tournament of the year. Tristan Boyer (Stanford), Federico Agustin Gomez (Louisville), Alexander Ritschard (Virginia), Learner Tien (USC) and Valentin Vacherot (Texas A&M) all claimed three Challenger titles.
[ATP APP]
Vacherot’s dominant start to season
Vacherot started the season on one of the hottest Challenger runs in recent memory. The 26-year-old won his first 15 Challenger-level matches of the year, claiming three titles. It was the longest winning streak to start a Challenger season since 2017. Vacherot was crowned champion in back-to-back weeks in Nonthaburi, Thailand and triumphed a month later in Pune, India.
A shoulder injury unfortunately hindered Vacherot’s standout season in which he did not compete in any tournaments after the US Open. Vacherot tallied a 21-3 season record (Challenger level) and held the second-highest winning percentage on the ATP Challenger Tour this year (87.5 per cent), only behind Fearnley (27-3, 90 per cent).
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Jannik Sinner never loosened his grip on dominating the ATP Tour this season, leading the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index on two of three surfaces.
The Italian claimed a whopping seven of his eight tour-level titles on hard courts this year and tallied a 53-3 (94.6 per cent) record on the surface. Two of those losses came against his rival Carlos Alcaraz, who finished second in match-win percentage on hard courts. Zverev’s 40 hard-court wins were second to Sinner’s season-leading 53.
Hard Court Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index
| Player | Winning % | Titles | Win/Loss |
| Jannik Sinner | 94.6% | 7 | 53-3 |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 78.4% | 2 | 29-8 |
| Novak Djokovic | 76.2% | 0 | 16-5 |
| Alexander Zverev | 75.5% | 1 | 40-13 |
| Grigor Dimitrov | 73.9% | 1 | 34-12 |
Sinner closed his season by triumphing at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he capped a perfect year on indoor hard courts. The 23-year-old went 13-0 on indoor hard, lifting trophies in Rotterdam and Turin.
Karen Khachanov and Tommy Paul also scored titles on indoor hard courts, finishing in the top three in those conditions according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. The 28-year-old Khachanov tallied the most indoor hard wins (14).
Indoor Hard Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, min. 10 matches played
| Player | Index | Titles | Win/Loss |
| Jannik Sinner | 100% | 2 | 13-0 |
| Karen Khachanov | 82.4% | 1 | 14-3 |
| Tommy Paul | 80% | 2 | 8-2 |
| Alexander Zverev | 78.6% | 1 | 11-3 |
| Roberto Bautista Agut | 75% | 1 | 9-3 |
The 18-time tour-level champion Sinner earned a milestone moment at the ATP 500 in Halle this season, capturing his maiden title on grass. The World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings went on a nine-match winning streak on grass before falling to Daniil Medvedev in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
Sinner earned nine grass-court wins, which was one more than Wimbledon champion Alcaraz (8). Lorenzo Musetti tallied the most grass-court wins (12).
Grass Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index
| Player | Index | Titles | Win/Loss |
| Jannik Sinner | 90% | 1 | 9-1 |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 88.9% | 1 | 8-1 |
| Alex de Minaur | 87.5% | 1 | 7-1 |
| Taylor Fritz | 83.3% | 1 | 10-2 |
| Tommy Paul | 83.3% | 1 | 10-2 |
Sinner’s countryman Matteo Berrettini led the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index on clay with a 93.8 winning percentage (15-1). Berrettini won three tour-level titles on clay, lifting trophies in Marrakech, Gstaad and Kitzbühel.
Argentine Sebastian Baez claimed the most clay-court wins (26) with Casper Ruud (24) and Alexander Zverev (23) not far behind.
Clay Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index
| Player | Index | Titles | Win/Loss |
| Matteo Berrettini | 93.8% | 3 | 15-1 |
| Jannik Sinner | 84.6% | 0 | 11-2 |
| Novak Djokovic | 84.2% | 1 | 16-3 |
| Carlos Alcaraz | 81% | 1 | 17-4 |
| Alexander Zverev | 79.3% | 1 | 23-6 |
British number one Jack Draper talks to BBC Sport’s Laura Scott on a Memory Walk to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease.
Draper’s grandmother has Alzheimer’s, a condition that causes dementia and the gradual decline of cognitive functioning in the brain.