By Nick Mulvenney
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Carlos Alcaraz said he thought the trio of teenagers who have lit up the first week of the Australian Open have the skills to play the game at the top level, but stopped short of offering them advice barring not to beat him. American 19-year-old Learner Tien stunned fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in the early hours of Friday morning, while 18-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca and 19-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik also made their mark by ousting top-10 seeds.
Alcaraz, who stunned the tennis world by wining the first of his four major titles as a teenager at the 2022 U.S. Open, said he had been keeping an eye on the three Grand Slam debutants.
“I watched a little bit (of Tien) last night, and it was incredible. I was surprised a little bit about his level,” the 21-year-old Spaniard told reporters after securing his spot in the fourth round on Friday.
“I don’t know which ranking they are going to get, but they have a lot of potential.
“I’m talking like I’m 30 years old, I’m just two years older than them,” he added with a smile. “What advice? Not beat me, I guess. I don’t know. I see them as capable of beating anyone, including myself.”
Tien will play Corentin Moutet in the third round on Saturday but Fonseca and Mensik are already out after five-set losses, the Brazilian to Lorenzo Sonego on Thursday and the Czech to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Friday.
“They have the level,” Alcaraz said. “They’re getting the experience in every tournament they play. Last night we saw Tien beating Medvedev here in Australia in five sets, which was amazing.
“Fonseca played his first five-sets match yesterday, as well. So they are getting experience. As they are getting experience, they’re going to become even more dangerous. Let’s see in the future.”
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
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