LIVE
...

Follow us on

News

Goran Ivanisevic assesses Carlos Alcaraz’s rivalry with Jannik Sinner and points out what will ‘never change’

Add as preferred source on Google

Goran Ivanisevic may have signed up to coach Arthur Fils, but he remains very much in the public eye with his comments on the wider tennis landscape. 

After all, his voice clearly travels far, having spent the bulk of his coaching career alongside the great Novak Djokovic.

To last for five years beside arguably the greatest tennis player of all time certainly lends weight to any thoughts he has on the sport, and his latest actually concerns the Serbian.

He has once again reaffirmed the similarities between the 38-year-old and Jannik Sinner, whilst also discussing the latter’s growing rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz.

Goran Ivanisević compares Jannik Sinner to Novak Djokovic

Speaking to Sportklub, just after Ivanisevic had picked his player with the best serve of all time, he turned his attention back to Sinner.

He admitted: “I always compare Sinner to Novak, they’re more similar, only Sinner now has more power, a better engine, tyres, rims, all that. When he catches you, he bites like a shark; he devours you.”

Who do you think will retire with more Grand Slam titles?

Then discussing Alcaraz in tandem, the Croatian added: “Alcaraz plays, he goes up and down… It’s great that they’re different and their matches are incredible, as the final in Paris last year showed, where the crowd didn’t say a word for five and a half hours. That kind of match, that kind of tennis, that kind of intensity, is phenomenal.

“I love them both, but Alcaraz is more versatile, and that will never change, which is even better because it makes for better matches.”

Ivanisevic also made a rankings prediction for Fils, his new protégé.

What other players has Goran Ivanisević coached?

Ivanisevic actually boasts a wide range of elite-level stars who have played under his tutelage, which speaks to his quality in that role.

His coaching career began alongside Marin Cilic, helping guide his compatriot to his one and only Grand Slam title in 2014.

Will Novak Djokovic play any events on clay this year?

He could skip clay entirely…

Then, after a couple of brief and ill-fated stints with Tomas Berdych and Milos Raonic, Ivanisevic was enlisted by Djokovic.

They spent five hugely successful years together, winning three Australian Open titles, three Wimbledon titles, two Roland Garros titles and another US Open, as well as two more ATP Finals and seven Masters 1000 events.

After their separation in 2024, Ivanisevic underwent a short trial stint with Elena Rybakina and an explosive partnership with Stefanos Tsitsipas which lasted less than two months.

Fils is now the latest to try and gain the benefits of the 54-year-old’s wisdom.