Joao Fonseca & NextGen peers embrace Wimbledon's traditions

Wimbledon

Law & Order: Why Fonseca & NextGen peers embrace Wimbledon's traditions

Tien, Basavareddy and Mensik also discuss love for grass major

Adrian Dennis/AFP & Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien each triumphed on main-draw debut Monday at Wimbledon. By Andy West

A new crop of #NextGenATP stars are bringing the future of tennis to the historic courts of Wimbledon.

Four of the leading six players in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah lined up in the 2025 field at the grass-court major: Jakub Mensik, Joao Fonseca, Learner Tien and Nishesh Basavareddy. Only Mensik played a main-draw Wimbledon match prior to this year.

All born in either 2005 or 2006, the quartet is part of a tech-savvy, self-expressive generation that may appear culturally distant from some of the old-time traditions in place at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club. Yet this collection of ‘Gen Z’ ATP Tour stars remains in awe of an event that they point out is far more modernised than many may think.

“Coming here and walking through the halls, you see some of the previous winners and the memorabilia,” the 19-year-old Tien told ATPTour.com at SW19. “You obviously can feel the history of the event and the venue just walking around, but it’s obviously evolving a lot as well, so it’s not like it feels like a super old place that is stuck in the 90s or 2000s or something.

“Growing up, you see it [on TV] and it just feels historic. Watching a tonne of great matches here is kind of what comes to mind when you are just walking around.”

Tien defeated his fellow American Basavareddy on Monday to kick-start his Wimbledon career with a victory. Another winner on Monday was 18-year-old Fonseca, who had spoken about his awe at the Wimbledon grounds in the run-up to his straight-sets win against Jacob Fearnley.

“I was surprised by the details;” said Fonseca in his pre-tournament press conference on Sunday. “I knew it was beautiful, but every detail is just amazing. When I went to the court yesterday, Court 1 where I'm playing, I just saw how amazing it is to be out there. I was like, ‘Am I going to play right there?’

“I stayed like five minutes just appreciating the moment right there. It's just unbelievable to see everything and come here. When I was a kid, it was just dreaming to come. Now I'm playing here.”

Basavareddy pushed Novak Djokovic to four sets on his major main-draw debut at January’s Australian Open and the 20-year-old is becoming accustomed to competing regularly at ATP Tour events after his 2024 breakthrough. Those experiences have put him in a better position to appreciate just how unique Wimbledon is.

“I would say aesthetically, not many events compare to it,” said the World No. 99, who competed as a junior at the grass major in 2022. “Maybe Indian Wells is cool that way with the flowers and stuff. But with Centre Court here and all that, nothing really compares.

“It’s been a while since I came here for juniors, but this year it is unbelievable. They’ve made more improvements and advancements. It’s everything you hear about and more. It’s probably the nicest site in the world, and definitely the best Slam I think. Coming into this, I didn’t know if I would think that. I thought the Aussie Open, US Open, were really cool, but I think this tops all of them.”

From the all-white dress code to the limited in-stadium sponsors’ branding or lack of changeover music, Wimbledon sets a scene that is recognisable to even the most casual of tennis fans. While competing there may be a more ‘tranquil’ experience, that does not stop the competitive juices flowing for the ATP Tour's newest stars.

“It does feel different, because Wimbledon is full of tradition, and I love it,” said Mensik ahead of his first-round match against Hugo Gaston. “Some of the traditions, I didn’t even know. I’m getting to know them when I’m here. You can just see how the tournament is and how historic. You can see that there are almost ‘laws’ that have kept everything as it is throughout the decades.”

Jakub Mensik in action during his main-draw debut last year at Wimbledon. Photo Credit: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Basavareddy concurred: “I’m good with free fan movement and music and stuff, but I think it’s cool to have one tournament that has this sort of tradition. I think the all-white dress code is pretty cool, to be distinct.”

Meanwhile Tien, who will face Nicolas Jarry next as he looks to reach the third round of a major for the second time, summarised the feeling that many young people, players and fans alike, feel when they enter the All England Club’s gates: Excitement at the opportunity to help continue the story of one of sport’s most treasured events.

“I think the traditions are cool,” he said. “It’s fun to put on your all white and go out and play. I don’t mind the quiet. The history of the event is so rich, and to feel like you can contribute to that, it’s awesome.”

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