Wimbledon is the biggest stage of all in tennis.
Many players have exploded on to the scene on the hallowed turf of the All England Club, and while the British faithful will always get behind their own, they are a crowd sure to back any true entertainers that enter the circus.
Carlos Alcaraz has emerged as the darling of Centre Court, with his style, youthful exuberance and no-fear mentality endearing him to the home support.
In years gone by, Dustin Brown, the charismatic German-Jamaican, stunned some of the biggest names in the sport on these very grounds, serve-and-volleying his way past both Lleyton Hewitt and Rafael Nadal in 2013 and 2015 respectively, dreadlocks flowing freely behind him after every delicate dropshot or daring dive-volley.
Nick Kyrgios announced himself to the world with his 2014 victory over Nadal, as the baby-faced 19-year-old embarrassed the then-world No1 and 14-time Grand Slam champion with tweeners, underarm serves, and a whole lot of mind games.
The Australian has since earned himself the ‘bad boy’ label, becoming a Marmite-like figure amongst fans with his on-court remarks and laissez-faire attitude.
But with Brown retired, Alcaraz injured and Kyrgios just playing doubles this year, there is an opening for a new pair of entertainers to emerge..
Rafael Jodar
Enter Rafael Jodar, who has already been dubbed the heir to Alcaraz.
The Spaniard has shot to the very top of the men’s game in double-quick time, similar to his compatriot.
Just 19, he has hardly been on the ATP Tour for a year, and yet he arrives at Wimbledon seeded 23rd after a meteoric few months.
He landed a maiden title back in April, surging to the crown in Marrakech, before channeling that momentum into a stunning run to the semi-finals at the Barcelona Open, where he took the scalp of Cameron Norrie.
He bested Alex de Minaur, the world No6, en route to the last eight in Madrid, where he bravely battled Jannik Sinner.
A run to the quarters at Roland Garros brought him into the conversation at tennis’ top table.
At 6’3”, Jodar is taller than Alcaraz, but his playing style is incredibly similar, and he admits that he has taken a thing or two from Novak Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer, as well as Sinner.
“It’s true that when you watch them, I try to copy them,” Jodar tells Standard Sport.
“When you’re on court against them, you can really feel the speed of the ball and see what they do well in the important points of the match. I have developed a lot as a player [across] all aspects of my game.
“When they play, you can see what the highest level of tennis is and what you have to do in the training weeks to get to that level one day.”
Boasting a thumping forehand and exceptional reactions, Jodar departs from the typical Spanish clay-court specialist that utilises heavy topspin that often works on the dirt on all surfaces.
In previous years, we have seen Spaniards punished for that exact tactic on hard and grass courts, with the ball not kicking as high as they would hope, allowing more time for opponents to pick their spot and thunder winners.
Jodar himself hits flatter than you would expect, keeping his wrist loose as he explodes through the ball.
Instead of camping behind the baseline, he takes a more hard or grass-court approach, wanting to dictate the play, stepping inside the court, looking to take advantage of even the slightest mistake or short ball.
On top of his penetrating power, he has shown that he can battle with the best at the net, showing good hands and reactions to win entertaining exchanges.
Naturally, with such a gung-ho mentality and still so raw, Jodar is prone to making mistakes, hence his lack of comfortable, straight-sets victories.
But in a world of ‘robots’, as they are known in the modern game, that makes the teen sensation all the more enticing to watch.
Joao Fonseca
Some have compared the Brazilian to his footballing compatriot Neymar, such is the showmanship that Fonseca embodies.
The 19-year-old is another of the new guard with an ultra-attacking mentality. A huge forehand, no fear in stepping in and moving forward, and striking aggressively from the off.
That was particularly on show in his recent French Open victory over Djokovic, where he stunned the 24-time major champion in a marathon five-set thriller.
The Paris crowd, willing Djokovic on initially, soon lost its partisan nature, and suddenly, they were going berserk for their newest ‘cherie’ on Chatrier.
Fonseca boasts one of the heaviest forehands on the tour, and that will strike fear into opponents, particularly with the Brazilian not even fully filled out yet.
He adds blistering pace and court coverage to his main weapon, while his backhand isn’t half bad either, with the teenager not scared to switch direction and flash a low-percentage winner down the line.
It is that fearlessness combined with his all-court style that has so many excited about Fonseca, who cemented himself as the star boy of the sport in 2024, when he won the ATP Next Gen Finals, despite being the youngest and lowest-ranked player in the draw.
Fonseca is, in a way, an amalgamation of Alcaraz and Sinner. Standing at 6’2”, he has the height (and perhaps more to come) of the Italian, while also the flat, pace-driven ball-striking of the world No1.
With his lung-busting win over Djokovic, as well as his pace and physicality, the 19-year-old has an air of a new Alcaraz about him too.
And while he has spoken of his inspiration from the dominant pair of the men’s game, he still looks to the ‘big four’ as major influences on his game.
I am a Roger Federer fan, but Rafael Nadal is the guy
Joao Fonseca on his biggest inspirations
“The first thing that I took as an inspiration is talent combined with hard work,” he tells Standard Sport.
“I am a Roger fan. I always saw Roger, but Nadal is the guy. He has many talents, but people can also look at his hard work, the way that he fought and gave it all.
“That inspired me a lot. When I was younger, I was not the most hard-working player. Then I started understanding that combining the two [meant] achieving things much more easily and faster. That was the first thing that clicked for me.
“The way they speak, the way they are humble, with their feet on the ground, inspires me too.
“When you have 24 Grand Slams, you have nothing more to win, still playing here for love. [Djokovic’s] joy of playing and being around good people is also an inspiration.”
Fonseca’s talent was never in question. The heart and the hard work, that is trickier to come by. But, as demonstrated in Paris, he is capable of producing it all in front of a growing number of adoring fans.
