Stefanos Tsitsipas makes his feelings known on ATP Next Gen Finals champ Joao Fonseca

Stefanos Tsitsipas this week shared thoughts on Joao Fonseca's "potential." Fonseca established himself as one of the better younger players last year with some notable results during the year. The confirmation of his status as one of the brightest young players came at the Next Gen Finals in Jeddah recently.

Playing among some of the best young players in the world, Fonseca not only won the event but also proved a lot better than the rest of the field. He won all of the matches he played at the event and quite comfortably so, including the final against Learner Tien.

As someone who went through a similar trajectory as Fonseca, Stefanos Tsitsipas shared his thoughts about the young Brazilian during a press conference ahead of the United Cup.

"I was talking to him in Halle this year. We had a few hours together. He was someone I already saw potential in before he wins the Next Gen Finals. I was sure he was going to be someone that is going to show big results in the upcoming months."

Like Fonseca, Tsitsipas also established himself as a really great young player. The future certainly looks very bright for the Brazilian, according to Tsitsipas, a former World No.1 junior. The Greek player expects this to be "just the beginning" for Fonseca.

I personally believe it's just the beginning of him raising up in the rankings and showing his actual true potential. I'm happy for him. He's a very humble kid. That's what I liked about him. I had a conversation. I really liked how down to earth he is, how determined and focused in regards of his goals he is. That is something that definitely stood out."

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A pivotal year for Stefanos Tsitsipas

While the future might look very promising for Joao Fonseca, things are a bit more murky when it comes to Stefanos Tsitsipas. His 2024 campaign was the type of year a tennis player of his status doesn't want to have. It was a noticeable step back as he won only 47 matches this year, the first time since 2020 that he won less than 50 matches in one year.

He also dropped out of the top 10 in February of 2024, the first time that happened in a few years. So avoiding a second consecutive season like that is hugely important for him because he still has ambitions of being one of the best players. He's yet to become number one, which he has previously said he valued over a Grand Slam trophy.