Goran Ivanisevic believes the secret behind the meteoric rise of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner lies as much off the court as it does on it — pointing to the grounding influence of their families as a decisive factor. The Croatian great also weighed in on which of the two rising superstars most closely mirrors Novak Djokovic.
Right now, Sinner and Alcaraz are out on their own at the summit of men’s tennis. They sit comfortably at the top of the ATP Rankings, having carved a huge gap between themselves and the rest of the field. Their duel has dominated the season — the pair clashing in the finals of the last four events they’ve entered, from Cincinnati to Wimbledon, Roland Garros to Rome. The rivalry has reached fever pitch, and many already expect the 2025 US Open to serve up another title showdown. Alcaraz currently edges their head-to-head battles 9–5.
Since the start of 2024, the two prodigies have split every Grand Slam title between them, seven in total. Alcaraz now owns five majors, while Sinner has four — a staggering haul for players still in their early twenties. The torch, it seems, has already been passed.
When asked in an interview what separates these two phenoms from the rest, the 2001 Wimbledon champion didn’t hesitate. “They are two completely different players,” said Ivanisevic. “I think they have extremely normal families. In tennis, I never saw more crazier families; everybody interrupting and it’s not easy for the players.
“These two people, they have unbelievable [families]. Sinner’s father didn’t even come to watch Roland Garros because he was working. Alcaraz’s mother and father are the two nicest people I ever met in my life.”
For Ivanisevic, this stability translates directly to what fans witness on court. “And they are so nice. Alcaraz is playing, he is like a little kid in the park, he’s enjoying, he’s laughing. It’s beautiful to watch.
“Jannik is more like Novak. He’s an ungraded Novak and their play — it is similar. When Sinner grabs you, you are done. Alcaraz plays with you, and then it can go out and then it comes back.”
It’s a striking comparison coming from a man who guided Djokovic through one of the most dominant stretches of his career, from 2019 to 2024, helping the Serbian claim nine of his record 24 Grand Slam titles. And Ivanisevic is convinced that Sinner and Alcaraz are only just getting started.
“But their environment is normal. Tennis is a process, you never know when good things are gonna happen. And that’s why, in my opinion, these two guys are gonna be one and two for the next 10 years, maybe 15.
“I don’t know who is gonna be one, who is gonna be two, who is gonna win more Grand Slams.”
The uncertainty of who ultimately comes out on top only fuels the intrigue. What is certain, though, is that tennis is in the midst of a new era, and for Ivanisevic, the balance between family, temperament, and raw talent may keep Alcaraz and Sinner entrenched at the top for more than a decade to come.