Roger Federer’s ex-coach reveals which of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner is most like the Swiss legend
Ivan Ljubicic believes that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will continue to dominate the tennis tour for the next two or three years, drawing upon similarities between the Spaniard and Roger Federer.
Alcaraz and Sinner have ruled the tennis scene for the last two years, winning all eight Grand Slams which have been contested within that period.
Arguably even more impressively, the pair have ended the 2025 season with more than double the number of ranking points that their nearest competitor, Alexander Zverev, posseses.
The Croat, who is a former world No 3, has stated that the rivalry is ‘fascinating’, even if he doesn’t believe the rest of the tour will provide for a ‘challenge’ in 2026.
“The rest are not there, they haven’t reach that level, so I don’t expect anything to change in the next two or three years,” Ljubicic predicted, in an interview with Punto de Break.
“Perhaps someone will emerge, but it will be individual performances here and there; I don’t think they will challenge Carlos and Jannik on a global level throughout the year.
“It’s interesting. They are two different players, two different personalities, so it’s great to see that contrast every time they face each other.
“The numbers show that Carlos is slightly ahead of Jannik, he is also a bit younger, but it’s fascinating and fantastic for tennis to have a rivalry like this right after the Big Three.”
Most recently, Alcaraz and Sinner faced off in the showpiece match of the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals – with the latter coming out on top via a 7-6(5), 7-5 victory to claim his second title in Turin.
It is Alcaraz who pipped the year-end No 1 title, leading Sinner 4-2 in their head-to-head for the season.
As a result of such a competitive rivalry at the top of the sport, many have sought to draw comparisons between the pair and that of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Federer.
More relevantly, Alcaraz has often been compared to the Swiss for his creativity and aggressiveness on court.
Ljubicic, who coached Federer from late 2015 until the end of his career, largely agrees with the comparison – caveating with the vast personality differences between the pair.
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“In terms of tennis, maybe, yes [he is most similar to Federer],” he said.
“In terms of personality and character, I think they are completely different, and I don’t believe you can disconnect one from the other.
“However, right now, Carlos is the most creative player, he is the player who generates the most excitement on a tennis court. Still, I think it’s too early to talk about these things.
“Yes, I believe he generates those emotions in tennis fans, in people who love this sport, he brings something different.
“There was a moment, five or ten years ago, when we were afraid that all players would be the same.
“He brought a different angle through his tennis. It’s fantastic.”
Alcaraz and Sinner are due to next face off on January 10th 2026 in a Korean exhibition, prior to the season’s first Australian Open.
