Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will be rivalled by one player claims Stan Wawrinka - and it's not Rafael Jodar

Stan ‘The Man’ Wawrinka, who won three Grand Slam titles in the ‘Big 3’ era, has tipped Joao Fonseca to rival Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on the ATP Tour.

His words arrive after Sinner, who parted ways recently with long-time mentor Darren Cahill, obtained the services of Wawrinka’s former coach Magnus Norman.

Under Norman, ‘Stanimal’ won Slam titles in three successive years, defeating Rafael Nadal once and Novak Djokovic twice across three Major tennis finals; now, he has tipped his fellow Serbian slayer, Fonseca, to challenge Alcaraz and Sinner on the ATP Tour.

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Stan Wawrinka tips ‘special, powerful’ Joao Fonseca to rival Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

While many are predicting Rafael Jodar, who became the first player in ATP history to qualify for the end-of-year Finals in his debut season at the expense of a financially-affected Taylor Fritz, to rival the multi-Slam-winning pair, Wawrinka believes Fonseca will be Sincaraz’s foil.

However, with the Italian now coached by Norman, who ‘Stanimal’ believes will help grow Sinner’s appetite for victory, the Brazilian wonderkid will have it rough on the ATP Tour.

Speaking with Gazzetta, the retired Swiss champion said: “Joao Fonseca has something special: power, personality, and the way he knows how to enjoy the big stage.

“As for me, I see myself a little in those players who mature later and play powerful, aggressive tennis. It's not written anywhere that you have to be a champion at 20.

“Sometimes it takes time to build self-confidence: that was the case for me too,” confessed Wawrinka, whose Slam titles arrived at ages 28, 30 and 31.

The three-time tennis Major champion memorably won the Roland Garros title by defeating Djokovic three-sets-to-one on Philippe-Chatrier in 2015.

The year prior, he defeated the French Open’s greatest-ever champion, Nadal, in Australia, then beat Djokovic, who recently confirmed that retirement is ‘closer than ever,’ at the US Open in 2016.

Upon his retirement, the sole Major missing from Wawrinka’s CV was Wimbledon - of which his Olympic gold doubles-winning partner, Roger Federer, won eight.

Fonseca already possesses a similar moment against Djokovic at Roland Garros; although, not many would compare the Serbian’s 2026 form to his 2015 peak.

Earlier this year, after Sinner exited the French Open in an early, heat-stroke-caused loss, Djokovic looked all but certain to claim his 25th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.

Previously, the Serbian defeated Sinner in Melbourne in the semi-finals, before losing to Alcaraz right on the brink of an 11th Australian Open trophy and 25th Major, and a run absent of both players at Roland Garros seemed all but certain to amount to a Djokovic win.

Instead, the 39-year-old ran into Fonseca in France, who battled back valiantly from two sets down to claim a three-sets-to-two victory against the 24-time Slam champion.

Perhaps that performance inspired Wawrinka to believe that it will be the Brazilian who one day rivals Alcaraz and Sinner for Slam titles, given his strong praise for Fonseca.

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Stan Wawrinka explains how 'small details' Jannik Sinner coach will raise him above Carlos Alcaraz

Having won five Slam titles in three seasons under Cahill, the question appears to be whether Sinner will replicate such success with new coach Norman, not improve upon it.

Wawrinka couldn’t disagree more with that assessment, claiming that the Italian has “made a great choice… [Norman] will help Jannik continue to grow and maintain his hunger for victory.”

‘Stanimal’ described his ex-mentor as “very good at picking up on the small details and working on the mental aspect,” which could elevate the five-time Major winner above Alcaraz.

The "mental aspect," given the rivalry’s history, with Alcaraz battling back from a set and multiple match-points down to lift the Roland Garros trophy in 2025, could be crucial for Sinner.

“He's already the best in the world, so it's not about changing his game, although he will continue to focus on the lines he's laid out over the last four years,” began Wawrinka.

“Magnus is very good at picking up on the small details and working on the mental aspect: how to stay calm and clear-headed in decisive moments. He also brings a fresh perspective and a wealth of experience in Grand Slam tournaments.

“I think he can help Jannik continue to grow and maintain his hunger for victory, which is the most difficult thing when you're at the top."

When asked what Norman’s best quality as a coach is, the retired Swiss champion was clear, claiming that his ex-mentor simply “knows how to understand people.”

Wawrinka continued: “He knows when to push, when to stay quiet, and when to simply believe in you. In my case, he instilled in me the belief that I can win the biggest titles. Confidence like that is very rare.”

Sinner will return from injury in 2026 to appear at the Six Kings Slam, which was rescheduled amid urges for players to avoid the Riyadh event, but will miss the ATP end-of-year Finals.

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