Swiss legend reflects on the sport’s new great rivalry ahead of the Australian Open
After two decades defined by the iconic battles between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, tennis has entered a new golden chapter through the rivalry of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The Spaniard and the Italian have quickly separated themselves from the rest of the ATP Tour, delivering a standard of tennis that many believe mirrors the early years of Federer and Nadal’s dominance.
Their competition reached extraordinary levels in 2025, when the pair met six times, including three Grand Slam finals. Among those encounters, the Roland Garros championship match now stands as one of the most celebrated finals in the sport’s history. As the 2026 Australian Open approaches, Federer has shared rare insight into how he views both players — and which of them he feels most connected to.
Federer explains his on-court similarities with Alcaraz
Speaking at a pre-tournament press conference in Melbourne ahead of an exhibition appearance, Federer described how watching Alcaraz and Sinner evokes very different reactions. He explained that when he observed Jannik Sinner competing against Grigor Dimitrov at Wimbledon, it allowed him to imagine how he himself might have matched up against the Italian, given Dimitrov’s stylistic resemblance to his own game.
However, when reflecting on Alcaraz, Federer admitted that he sees much more of himself in the young Spaniard’s approach. He pointed to similarities in tactical instincts, including when to attack the net, when to deploy a drop shot, and how both players choose between passive and aggressive play. According to Federer, he naturally places himself in Alcaraz’s mindset when watching him compete.
Australian Open paths set for tennis’s new leading duo
While Federer now enjoys the sport primarily as a fan, his comments highlight the extraordinary level that Alcaraz and Sinner have already reached. Both enter the Australian Open as the tournament’s top two seeds, with the possibility of meeting in a fourth straight Grand Slam final if they navigate their respective halves of the draw.
Sinner begins his title defence against France’s Hugo Gaston, whom he has defeated in both of their previous tour-level meetings in Marseille and Miami in 2021. Alcaraz, meanwhile, opens his campaign against Australian wildcard Adam Walton, whom he beat in straight sets at Queen’s Club in 2025, although Walton made the contest highly competitive.
Should both favourites progress, Melbourne may once again provide the stage for the latest chapter in what is rapidly becoming one of tennis’s defining rivalries.
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