Novak Djokovic has highlighted two rising stars who he believes deserve more recognition on the ATP Tour.
Ahead of Indian Wells, the 24-time Grand Slam champion discussed the new generation of players starting to make their mark in men’s tennis.
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While Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca has received significant attention in recent months, Djokovic said fellow players Tian and Jakub Mencic are part of the same emerging group and deserve similar recognition.
Novak Djokovic says learners Tian and Jakub Mencic deserve more attention
Photography: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour via Getty Images
In his pre-Masters 1000 press conference, the Serbian praised the progress of several young players who have started to perform well on the ATP Tour.
Djokovic pointed out that Tenn and Mencic are geniuses who should be mentioned alongside the highly rated Fonseca.
He said (via the Express ): “I think he [Tien]Fonseca, these people, Mensik, this is a generation. I don’t know if they’re the same age or maybe there’s someone who’s a year younger, a year older, but I think Fonseca’s getting a lot of attention, which is great for him, but I think other guys deserve it too because of, you know, the last few years, especially the last 12 months, you know, the results and everything that’s been shown. “
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Novak Djokovic highlights Tepe Chang’s role in Tian’s rise
Djokovic also pointed to the influence of former Grand Slam champion Chang Te-pei on Tian’s development.
The Serbian said having an experienced player like Zhang could be very valuable for a young player as he needs to deal with the pressure of early success on the ATP Tour.
Djokovic explained that the 54-year-old understands these challenges better than most, having made significant progress in the sport himself.
“Tian’s supporter is Teo-pei, who is obviously one of the greatest players in history and a Grand Slam winner, and someone who has been at the top of his game and understands it,” he began.
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“Also, I think he’s the youngest ever Grand Slam winner on the men’s side, he was 16 or 17 when he won Roland Garros, so he understands the pressure that’s on you when you’re so young and you reach those heights and you have that platform, your game or your emotions or everything around it may not have matured yet.”
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