Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner remind Kei Nishikori of Roger Federer magic: Here's why

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's matches remind Kei Nishikori of Roger Federer. The Japanese tennis star named other ATP players who play exceptional tennis, but he believes none are at Sinner's or Alcaraz's level.

When Nishikori was interviewed by WOWOW recently, he was asked about watching matches between Sinner and Alcaraz. Nishikori said it is simply fun to watch them play. He explained that their matches give him a feeling similar to watching Federer.

"It's simply fun to watch. They give you the feeling that you're watching a Federer match, wondering what kind of shots they'll make. There are other strong players like Fritz and Draper, but I think those two are the ones who get you excited. Their timing is fast, and the trajectory and accuracy of their shots are amazing," he said.

Sinner and Alcaraz have dominated the tour in recent years, much like Federer used to do in his era. The Spaniard and the Italian have split the past eight Grand Slam titles between them. They also occupy the top two spots in the ranking, with the top rank shifting between them.

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Roger Federer spoke about tournament directors wanting slower courts for a potential Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz match

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the Nitto ATP Finals 2025 - Source: Getty

Carlos Alcaraz featured at the 2025 Laver Cup in San Francisco, where Team Europe lost 9-15 to Team World. The event sparked discussion about court conditions, with many feeling the indoor hard court played unusually slowly.

Speaking on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, Roger Federer took responsibility for the court speed. He admitted he was part of the decision-making process and felt it was not ideal.

Federer explained that on such slow courts, even the biggest servers struggle to gain an advantage. He pointed to Casper Ruud being able to comfortably return Reilly Opelka’s powerful serve indoors, something he felt should be much harder.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion also addressed why tournaments lean toward slower surfaces and said the reasoning is partly strategic.

"Obviously, I understand the safety net that the tournament directors see in making the surface slower. It’s for the weaker player - he has to hit extra amazing shots to beat Sinner, whereas if it’s quick, he can only maybe blast a few and, at the right time… and he gets past," the Swiss said.

"So that’s what the tournament directors are [thinking], like: ‘I kind of like Sinner-Alcaraz in the finals, you know? It kind of works for the game,'" he added.

Alcaraz and Sinner faced off six times in 2025. Each match was a final with Alcaraz winning four, including the US Open and the French Open, while Sinner bagged Wimbledon and the ATP Finals.