Legendary Federer unexpectedly highlights a crucial detail that has long benefited Sinner and Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are currently two of the best tennis players in the world. Recently, Roger Federer pointed out a significant factor that greatly advantages these two players.
Federer points out the advantage of Sinner and Alcaraz
Tennis legend Roger Federer believes that today's court surfaces — whether hard, clay, or grass — have become too uniform and slow, which benefits baseline players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
"All the courts look the same now," Federer said during the Laver Cup, where he acts as a supervisor. "I find returning serve much easier these days. It might be because conditions are slower, or simply that current players are better. In the past, returning serve was very tough — that’s why I often used slice shots to change the pace."
Tennis legend Roger Federer believes that today's court surfaces — whether hard, clay, or grass — have become too uniform and slow, which benefits baseline players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
According to Federer, tournament organizers must ensure greater diversity in court surfaces: "We don’t just need fast courts, but also clear contrasts — so Alcaraz or Sinner have to adjust to extremely fast courts, then play on very slow ones. That’s what makes tennis interesting."
The 20-time Grand Slam winner also agrees with adjusting surfaces to encourage different playing styles. "Absolutely. I talked about this with Reilly Opelka this morning. It’s unreasonable that indoors, with a massive serve like Opelka’s, Casper Ruud can step back and return comfortably. Even the best serves today are returned too easily, and that shouldn’t be the case."
Federer stresses that in the past, court surfaces forced players to choose distinct strategies. "Back then, only 12 tournaments counted for rankings. Everyone picked their favorite surface to compete, and when attacking players faced defensive experts, those matches were amazing. Now, players are becoming more alike because ball speeds and surfaces have been standardized. You can win Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open with the same style."
Federer believes organizers intentionally slow down courts to provide a safer path for rising stars like Sinner and Alcaraz. "I understand why organizers do this," he explained. "On slow courts, weaker players must hit exceptional shots to surprise Sinner. But on fast courts, they just need a few explosive points. Slowing the courts lowers that risk."
Links
Contact
Address：UNIT 1804 SOUTH BANK TOWER, 55 UPPER GROUND,LONDON ENGLAND SE1 9E
Number：+85259695367
E-mali：[email protected]
App
