Jannik Sinner's coach names three players who can upset dominance with Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have pulled away from the rest of the pack and formed a duopoly at the top of tennis. The young rivals have shared the last eight Grand Slam titles and are consistently reaching the finals of virtually every tournament they enter.

But Sinner's long-time coach Simone Vagnozzi, who joined his team along with Darren Cahill in 2022, believes three up-and-coming players could crash the party and pose a threat to the two multi-Grand Slam champions.

Sinner handily beat American teenager Learner Tien in the China Open final earlier this week, but Vagnozzi has been impressed with what he's seen from Tien.

The 19-year-old started the year by getting a huge win over Daniil Medvedev on his way to the second week of the Australian Open, and he's since gone from strength to strength. And Tien isn't the only teenager who has enjoyed a breakout season.

"There are many who have potential, even Tien. Obviously, there's [Joao] Fonseca, although I really like [Jakub] Mensik," the Italian tennis coach told Corriere dello Sport.

"If he doesn't have any physical problems, he's someone who can improve a lot. Then there are intangible factors. Think about Jannik: now everyone makes his victories seem normal.

"When I started working with him, many people in the tennis world said [Holger] Rune was much more advanced. You never know how much you can improve. The guys are there, but then they have to make significant steps to catch up to Jannik and Carlos."

It's no surprise that Vagnozzi also has eyes on Fonseca. The Brazilian teenager won the Next Gen ATP Finals at the end of last year, an event for players aged under 20 that has previously been won by Sinner and Alcaraz.

Fonseca started 2025 by qualifying for the Australian Open and upsetting No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev. He followed it up by winning his maiden title in Buenos Aires a few weeks later.

And Mensik made his mark when he won a big title at the Miami Open in March. Aged just 19, the Czech star defeated Jack Draper, Arthur Fils and Taylor Fritz on the way to the final, and then stunned Novak Djokovic in two tiebreak sets to be crowned the champion.

There's still a way to go before the likes of Tien, Fonseca and Mensik can reach the very top of the game, and Vagnozzi knows that Sinner and Alcaraz will only continue to improve.

He added: "When we compare them, we're obviously talking about two different cultures, but they're still 22 and 24-year-olds, always focused on improving in every aspect, and capable of doing so. That's how they've carved out a niche for themselves."