Jodar, Fonseca, Tien and more: Meet the young stars at the NBO

Let’s get to know them a little more. 

Joao Fonseca (Brazil) 

Joao Fonseca has been talked about for a long time now — and for a good reason. The 19-year-old possesses, maybe, one of the most devastating forehands in tennis. He is already a Grand Slam quarterfinalist, achieving the feat at the French Open, where he came from two sets down to beat Novak Djokovic. 

Read: Getting to know Joao Fonseca 

He idolized Roger Federer growing up and is sponsored by the clothing company the Swiss partly owns. 

Rafael Jodar (Spain)

Another ‘Rafa’ from Spain but this one is a right-hander, not a lefty. About a month younger than Fonseca, Rafael Jodar played in the Washington final on Monday, and he is competing in Montreal as the world No. 15. 

Even though he won the US Open juniors in 2024, he drew less attention than Fonseca. His game has been compared to Tomas Berdych, the towering Czech known for his smooth power. Jodar matched Fonseca by making the French Open quarterfinals. 

Jakub Mensik (Czechia) 

Mensik has been established among the top tier longer than both Jodar and Fonseca. 

Having let slip a handful of leads at Grand Slams prior to this year’s French Open, the huge server and fine mover turned things around on the clay, earning a pair of five-set wins while also defeating Alex de Minaur. 

The 20-year-old already owns a Masters 1000 title, defeating Djokovic for the Miami crown in 2025. 

Learner Tien (USA) 

Tien can’t match the power of Fonseca, Mensik and Jodar but the lefty is a master of redirecting balls and reading the game. There is still, though, ample pop on the 20-year-old’s groundstrokes. As for his grit, well, Tien has outlasted Daniil Medvedev twice, including at the Australian Open in 2025 over five sets. 

Coached by Grand Slam winner Michael Chang, Tien became the youngest American man to win a European clay event (in Geneva in May) since Chang landed the French Open title as a teen in 1989. 

Jerry Shang (China) 

Injuries have been unkind to three of the top Chinese players, Wu Yibing, Zhang Zhizhen and Jerry Shang. Shang is the youngest of the trio at 21. 

READ: Felix, Sasha, La Monf, Fonseca: What they said Wednesday at the NBO

A foot injury played havoc with his 2025 season and Shang only played eight matches in 2026 before the NBO. When healthy, the lefty is, especially on hard courts and grass, dangerous with his power baseline game. He outslugged Andrey Rublev in the second round, saving five match points in the process. 

Shang is also a title winner, triumphing at home in Chengdu in 2024 over top seed Lorenzo Musetti in the final. 

Alexander Blockx (Belgium)

A junior rival of Tien and Fonseca, Blockx is one of three Belgians who recently made waves on the men’s tour. Zizou Bergs won his first title in Eastbourne in June, Raphael Collignon made his first final in Gstaad in July and Blockx a week later made his first final in Estoril. 

Before Estoril, Blockx reached a Masters 1000 semifinal in Madrid. 

The 21-year-old’s serve and forehand are potent, but he also covers ample ground. When he meets Jiri Lehecka on Thursday night on Rogers Court, it will mark his first match of the tournament. He received a bye in the first round, then got a walkover from Jaume Munar. 

Daniel Merida (Spain) 

Carlos Alcaraz continues to recover from a wrist injury but in the meantime, his fellow Spaniards have stepped up in his absence. Besides Jodar, Martin Landaluce, 20, and Daniel Merida, 21, have also shined. 

The speed of Merida’s forehand mimics, at times, Alcaraz’s — the two practice together on occasion. He’s no stranger to hitting underarm serves. 

Merida lost his first final in Bucharest in April but wouldn’t be denied in Umag in July, losing only one set during the week on the Croatian coast. 

Photo: Pascal Ratthé/Tennis Canada