Roger Federer’s Ex-coach Explains Similarities Between Swiss Maestro and Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz ended the 2025 season with eight trophies from 11 finals, as well as the year-end No.1 title.

Roger Federer’s Ex-coach Explains Similarities Between Swiss Maestro and Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz, Roger Federer (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K, TNT Sports)

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Roger Federer‘s ex-coach Ivan Ljubicic explained the similarities and differences between the tennis great and Carlos Alcaraz. Ljubicic was in Bologna to pay tribute to the late Nikola Pilic, a former Grand Slam finalist who also coached Novak Djokovic.

There, during his interview with Punto de Break, Ljubicic called Alcaraz the “most creative player ever.” When asked whether Alcaraz is the closest thing to Federer at the moment, Ljubicic answered in the affirmative.

In terms of tennis… maybe. Yes. In terms of personality and character, I think they are completely different, and I don’t think you can separate one from the other.

Although Alcaraz has met Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic multiple times, he has never played against the 20-time Grand Slam champion. Federer called time on his career at the 2022 Laver Cup. Following the retirement of the first member of the legendary Big 3, Nadal followed suit at the 2024 Davis Cup, while Djokovic is still chasing his 25th Grand Slam title.

The dominance of the Big 3 for sure has faded, because at the moment, no player is ruling on the court than Alcaraz and his arch-rival Jannik Sinner, with them splitting the last eight Majors. Alcaraz, in fact, lifted the most titles this season- eight trophies from 11 finals, including five Big Titles (two Grand Slam titles and three Masters 1000s).

The Davis Cup is underway in Bolonga, and Alcaraz chose to skip it. He was eager to represent Spain in their bid for the first title since 2019, but an injury that he suffered during his ATP Finals championship match against Sinner spoiled the plan.

Spain knocked out the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals and Germany in the semifinals. In the final, they will be locking horns with two-time defending champion Italy, who are without their star players Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti.

Jimmy Connors on what needs to happen to make the Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner rivalry more interesting

Without a shadow of a doubt, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are way ahead in the competition. To prove this with the help of stats, look at the rankings gap between them and World No.3 Alexander Zverev.

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner
Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K, Jannik Sinner HQ)

After the ATP Finals, Alcaraz finished the season as the No.1 player with 12,050 points, while World No.2 Sinner holds 11,500 points. Zverev has 5,160 points. If Sinner and Alcaraz continue to dominate, believes tennis great Jimmy Connors, then the rivalry can become predictable, and to ensure that the men’s tour remains interesting, another player needs to step in to challenge their dominance.

You need variety; we need someone else to step in and challenge those two, but on the other hand, it’s not their fault. When you get to the final, it’s the two of you and 126 beaten opponents, and that’s how it is, right now, nobody else is stepping up, and the two that sell the tickets and make the money are Alcaraz and Sinner, that’s just how it is.

Jimmy Connors said on his Advantage Connors podcast

Sinner, despite his three-month doping ban, ended up clinching five titles from 10 finals- the most on the tour this year after Alcaraz. The four-time Grand Slam champion met the six-time Grand Slam champion six times this year in the finals, winning at Wimbledon and the ATP Finals, and losing at the Italian Open, French Open, Cincinnati Masters, and the US Open.

The last title that Alcaraz lifted this season is the Japan Open by defeating Taylor Fritz. Their next major goal is the Australian Open, where Sinner will play as the defending champion.

Also read: Davis Cup Director Admits the Event is Open to Changes Following Alexander Zverev’s Criticism