Novak Djokovic urges spotlight on two ATP youngsters amid João Fonseca hype
· Yahoo Sports
Novak Djokovic has highlighted two rising stars he believes deserve more recognition on the ATP Tour.
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Speaking 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.
While Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca has received significant attention in recent months, Djokovic suggested that Learner Tien and Jakub Mensik are also part of the same emerging group and merit similar recognition.
Novak Djokovic says Learner Tien and Jakub Mensik deserve more attention
Photo by Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour via Getty ImagesDuring a press conference before the Masters 1000 event, the Serb praised the progress of several young players who have begun to produce strong results on the ATP Tour.
Djokovic singled out Tien and Mensik as talents who should be mentioned alongside the highly rated Fonseca.
He stated (via Express): “I think him [Tien], Fonseca, these guys, Mensik, that’s the generation. I don’t know if they’re the same age or maybe someone is year younger, year older, but I think Fonseca got a lot of spotlight, which is nice for him, but I think the other guys deserve that too because of the results and everything that have been showing, you know, in the last couple of years, particularly in the last 12 months.”
Novak Djokovic highlights Michael Chang’s role in Learner Tien’s rise
Djokovic also pointed to the influence of former Grand Slam champion Michael Chang on Tien’s development.
The Serbian suggested that having a figure with Chang’s experience could be extremely valuable for a young player dealing with the pressures of early success on the ATP Tour.
Djokovic explained that the 54-year-old understands the challenges better than most because of his own remarkable rise in the sport.
“Tien has Michael Chang in his corner, who is obviously one of the all-time greats and Grand Slam winner and someone that has been on top of the game and understands,” he began by saying.
“Also, I think he’s the youngest-ever Grand Slam winner on the men’s side, 16 or 17 when he won Roland Garros, so he understands the pressures that come into play when you’re so young and you reach that height and have that platform, that you still haven’t maybe matured in your game or emotions or everything that goes around that.”
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