Roger Federer's ex-coach makes feelings known on Carlos Alcaraz being compared to Swiss legend

Ivan Ljubicic recently shared his thoughts on Carlos Alcaraz being compared to Roger Federer. The former Croatian player said that the current World No. 1 is the closest thing to the Swiss legend in terms of tennis, highlighting the Spaniard's creative skills and ability to "generate enthusiasm" on a tennis court.

Carlos Alcaraz, who has claimed six majors before turning 23, is expected to dominate the sport for the next few years, alongside Jannik Sinner, who is on par with the former, having won four Grand Slam and two ATP Finals titles at the age of 24. The duo has often attracted comparisons to the Big 3, who dominated the court for two decades with 66 Grand Slam singles titles combined.

Lubicic, the former World No. 3 and the 2006 French Open semifinalist, coached Federer from 2016 to 2022. He was in Bologna, Italy, along with Novak Djokovic and Boris Becker, to pay tribute to legendary Croatian player Nikola Pilic, who passed away last month. After the ceremony, he spoke with Puntodebreak and discussed the similarities between Carlos Alcaraz and Roger Federer, as well as what sets them apart.

“In terms of tennis… maybe. Yes," Ivan Ljubicic said. "In terms of personality and character, I think they are completely different, and I don’t think you can separate one from the other. That said, right now Carlos is the most creative player, the player who generates the most enthusiasm on a tennis court. Even so, I think it’s still too early to talk about these things." "Yes, I think Carlos generates those emotions in tennis fans, in people who love this sport; he generates something different. There was a time, five or ten years ago, when we were afraid that all the players would become the same. He’s the one who has brought a different perspective through his tennis. He’s fantastic,” he added.

Carlos Alcaraz finished the 2025 season as the ATP Year-End No. 1, winning eight titles, including two majors and three Masters 1000.

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"They're two different players, two distinct personalities" - Ivan Ljubicic on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's rivalry

Carlos Alcaraz ended Jannik Sinner's 65-week streak as the World No. 1 after winning the US Open title this year. The Spaniard also extended his head-to-head record with four wins against the Italian in 2025. However, Sinner is only 550 points behind Alcaraz in the ATP rankings going into the 2026 season, after winning the season-ending ATP Finals event in Turin, Italy, by beating the World No. 1 in straight sets in the final.

Alcaraz and Sinner shared the majors and the World No. 1 rankings in 2025, separating themselves from the rest of the field by a considerable margin. During the same interaction with Puntodebreak, Ivan Ljubicic talked about the difference between the top two-ranked players and the rest.

"The rest aren't there, they don't reach that level, so I don't expect anything to change in the next two or three years," Ljubicic said. "Maybe someone will emerge, but it's going to be individual performances here and there; I don't think they're going to challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner globally, over the course of a year. It's interesting."

Roger Federer's ex-coach also admitted it's fascinating for tennis to have a rivalry like Alcaraz-Sinner right after the Big 3.

"They're two different players, two distinct personalities, so it's great to see that contrast every time they face each other. The numbers say that Carlos Alcaraz is a little ahead of Jannik; he's also a bit younger, but it's fascinating and fantastic for tennis to have a rivalry like this right after the Big 3," he added.

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner both withdrew from the ongoing 2025 Davis Cup Finals in Bologna, Italy, and are next expected to continue their rivalry at the Australian Open 2026, starting on January 12.

Edited by Mitali