Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz were asked about the next generation of the ATP Tour in Vienna this week, and gave answers that point in different directions. Zverev, the new world No. 1, says 2027 will look much like 2026. Alcaraz is already full of admiration for one of the players who might change that.
Zverev: “next year will still be too soon”
Zverev has had the year that pushes him into the conversation with Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz: titles at Roland Garros and the US Open, the first two Grand Slams of his career, and the top of the rankings. Asked in Vienna whether any of the rising players could disrupt that trio next season, he was cautious. “That’s difficult to say. I don’t believe it will happen next year. I think it will be relatively similar,” he said, according to Tennis365.
Tennis365 names Rafael Jodar and João Fonseca among the young players who have teased their potential over the last year. Zverev’s reply was measured: “We’ll see how they work on their game, but I think next year will still be too soon.”
Alcaraz: “it’s unbelievable in his first year”
Alcaraz, speaking at the same tournament, volunteered a name. Asked which player had surprised him this season, he chose Jodar. “Rafa surprised me, the way he came through, and, you know, staying on the tour and being there, dealing with the expectation, and I would say it feels like that didn’t affect him at all,” he said. “Playing such a great tennis during the whole season, beating the best players of the world, and right now, I think he’s almost top ten, it’s unbelievable in his first year, so I would say I kept an eye on Rafa during the whole season, so it’s been amazing. Proud of him, we are proud of him.” His words are reported by Tennis365.
What Jodar has done
Tennis365 lists Jodar’s season: a first title in Marrakech, the final at the Washington Open, quarter-finals at Roland Garros, the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, and a semi-final at the Canadian Open. He is also in the race for the ATP Finals. With Sinner not playing, whoever finishes ninth in the Race to Turin takes a place, and Jodar is one point behind the cut-off after the weekend’s Vienna and Basel results, according to Tennis365’s table. He and Alcaraz will be team-mates for Spain at the Davis Cup Finals.
Do the two views clash?
Not directly. Zverev was asked whether a rising player could disrupt the top three in 2027, and his answer is about winning the biggest matches. Alcaraz was asked about a surprise, and his answer is about a first season handled well. A player can be impressive without being ready to beat Sinner, Alcaraz or Zverev in a Grand Slam final.
The disagreement is in the emphasis. Zverev has lost his last 10 matches against Sinner, according to Tennis365, so he knows how hard the top is to reach, and his comments suggest it has to be earned over time. Alcaraz’s praise is generous and focuses on how Jodar has handled expectation.
Jodar and Alcaraz are also Spanish team-mates, so Alcaraz’s praise is worth reading alongside Zverev’s more sceptical view from outside.
Context
This is also a changed top of the game. Becker defended Zverev’s year-end No. 1 with the argument that nothing is given to you for free, and Zverev himself said he would be “an idiot” to claim he matched Sinner, as we reported on Friday. Both men are cautious about reading too much into one season. On the evidence of this week, Zverev applies the same caution to the players behind him.
The Paris Masters begins on 2 November, and the ATP Finals follow from 15 to 22 November. If Jodar qualifies for Turin, it will be a better argument for his arrival than either player’s comments.
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