French Open: Rafael Zodar and Joao Fonseca, 19, on course for last-eight semi-final clash after stunning run at Roland-Garros | tennis news

There has been a significant changing of the guard in men’s tennis over the last four years, but will some fresh-faced 19-year-olds once again tear up the established order at the French Open?

Before Carlos Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam at the 2022 US Open, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic claimed 63 of the last 76 major men’s singles titles. In the three and a half years since then, Janic Ciner, Alcaraz and Djokovic have shared the next 13 exclusively between them.

until now There is guaranteed to be a new name on the trophy on Sunday evening in Paris, with a pair of hugely talented teenagers – Rafael Zodar and Joao Fonseca – on course for a potential semi-final clash in the bottom half of the draw.

But what do we know about the pair who took Paris by storm as they prepare for their respective quarter-final matches on Tuesday?

Raphael Jodar

Spanish tennis fans might have wondered who would fill the huge, flexed-bicep-shaped hole left by Nadal and his 22 Grand Slam titles when he retires from the game in 2024.

A career grand slam – and seven major wins – already secured at 22, but now with a challenger named Rafael for dominance in the men’s game at just 19 years old – Alcarez has gone some way to filling that void.

With Alcaraz absent from Roland-Garros (and Wimbledon) due to injury, Jodar enjoyed a thrilling run to the quarterfinals in his second Grand Slam appearance.

Jodar was ranked outside the top 900 in the world about a year ago and is still playing college tennis at the University of Virginia, but her powerful groundstroke and natural ability to move over the clay stood out — and not just in Paris.

The build-up hinted at such a storied run with Jodar – outside the world’s top 100 in March, but now up to 29 – claiming a maiden Challenger Tour event title in April, before a run to the semi-finals at the Barcelona Open and quarter-finals in ’10 and road quarter-finals in ’10.

In Madrid, Jodar stunned fifth seed Alex de Minaur – dropping just four games to secure his first career win against a top-10 opponent – while adding a remarkable scalp to the 19-year-old Fonseca (more on him in a moment).

The 6ft 4in Madrid native’s run was ended by the world number one in the last eight, losing 6-2 7-6 (7-0), but Jodar certainly left his mark on the four-time Grand Slam winner.

“What a player!” Sinner wrote to the TV camera lens after the win, before speaking Sky Sports: “Spain has another incredible player and it’s great for the sport.”

After Ciner’s second-round shock at Roland-Garros, and Alcaraz’s absence, world No. 3 Alexander Zverev is now favorite to win – and he stands in Jodar’s way in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Zverev is a three-time Grand Slam finalist, and 10-time semi-finalist, who has had the misfortune of playing in the dominant era of Ciner and Alcaraz, as well as Djokovic’s final throws.

But with all three leaving Paris, now is definitely his time – unless Jodar can defy his tender years and pull off his biggest win yet!

If Jodar can reach the semifinals, it could be another teenage tennis prodigy who awaits in the last four, Fonseca.

Joao Fonseca

19-year-olds have a lot to link to. Both junior winners at the US Open (Fonseca in 2023, Jodar in 2024), the Brazilian is currently one place below Jodar in both the world ranking (30th) and French Open seeding (28th) and, as noted earlier, he lost their only previous meeting in Madrid, but he lost 7-6-6, 7-6-4 (4-6-4). The most eye-catching run ever at Roland-Garros.

Fonseca defeated record 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic in an epic third round clash in which he recovered from two sets down to win 4-6 4-6 6-3 7-5 7-5, the match lasting more than four hours and 53 minutes in sweltering heat reaching 33 degrees.

Of particular note was the way Fonseca wrapped up the win, hitting three consecutive aces for the match before finding a break point to Djokovic, who never gave himself up before clinching.

Fonseca won his only top-10 opponent while announcing himself to the world with a first-round victory over Andrei Rublev on his Grand Slam debut at the 2025 Australian Open.

He became the first player born in 2006 to win an ATP Tour singles title.In February of that year, at age 18, he defeated Francisco Cerundolo in the final of the Argentina Open, making him the 10th-youngest champion in ATP Tour history and the fourth-youngest player since 2000 and Naoshior al-Keoshio Naoshio.

Boris Becker, a teenage prodigy when he won Wimbledon in 1985 aged 17, posted on social media at the time: “Look at this young Brazilian. The sky’s the limit…”

But since then it has taken some time for Fonseca to really take off.

Despite a quick second title in October 2025 – Alejandro Davidovic defeated Fokina to claim the Swiss indoor crown – she has otherwise struggled to go deep into the tournament until the French, with third-round showings at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon last year, her previous best at the Slams.

And Fonseca, perhaps, could have taken a different path. On his decision to play tennis instead of football, he said: “I really like Neymar’s skills. I like watching him play.

“But when I was 11 or 12, I had a little injury. I used to play with older players, but then I hurt my glute and was injured for two months. I said, ‘Mom, I don’t want to play football anymore, I want to continue tennis.'”

Football’s loss is definitely tennis’ gain and it seems as if everything has suddenly come together for Fonseca, who impressed with a run to the quarter-finals at the Monte Carlo Masters before losing to Zverev on a clay-court swing.

A possible rematch in the last four awaits, or an all-teens battle against Jodar, if he gets past 26th-seeded Czech Jakub Mencic on Tuesday, himself a considerable talent at just 20 who, most notably, won the Masters 1000 last year and even the Miami Open – yes, 91!

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