Roger Federer is back. Well, sort of.
For the first time since his semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic in 2020, the 20-time Major champion will return to the Australian Open this year, more than three years removed from retirement, to take part in a “Battle of World No.1’s” event during the first-ever Australian Open main draw opening ceremony.
How Federer would play Sinner
In the build-up to the event, Federer held a press conference at Melbourne Park, where he was asked a wide range of questions. One of the most intriguing moments came when he was asked how he would have game-planned against two-time defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner.
Federer admitted that while he had not previously thought deeply about the matchup, watching Sinner’s Wimbledon encounter with Grigor Dimitrov gave him a clearer tactical picture.
“At Wimbledon, when Grigor was playing against Jannik and I was sitting there, that made it easy to think how it could’ve been because Grigor plays very similar to how I played. I think it was one of the first times I thought how would it have been to play Jannik in a match situation. When I saw Jannik play against Novak in Shanghai, I didn’t feel that way. I was just watching great tennis because they both played very different to how I play.”
Why Federer Relates More to Alcaraz
Expanding on the idea, the Swiss legend explained that stylistically, he relates more to Carlos Alcaraz than to Sinner. Both Federer and Alcaraz favor attacking tennis, variety, and creativity, rather than the more linear power-based style that defines Sinner’s game.
“I put myself more in Carlos mindset and skin when I watch him. Now with Sinner at one time I thought Okay, now I understand how I would probably play against Jannik.”
Whether or not one agrees with Federer’s assessment, one thing is difficult to argue: if there is a proven playstyle capable of troubling Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz’s blueprint appears to be the closest thing to it.
Despite how difficult it is to execute, the Spaniard remains the only player on tour to have consistently beaten Sinner since 2024, winning seven of their last nine meetings. That record alone underlines just how effective Alcaraz’s disruptive, high-variation approach can be against the Italian’s baseline dominance, and one which Federer sees would have been the way to go had he ever faced the Italian.
Main Photo Credit Syndication: The Enquirer
