As Roger Federer played modern-day tennis at the Australian Open, the 20-time major winner was as diplomatic as ever, saying he would not be the one to remind Carlos Alcaraz how difficult it is to complete a Grand Slam career.
Federer won five US Open titles, five at Wimbledon and three in Australia before finally capping his Grand Slam career with victory at Roland Garros in 2009, where Rafael Nadal was dominant on the clay.
The top-ranked Alcaraz won back-to-back Wimbledon titles in 2023 and 2024, two French titles in a row in 2024 and last year, and the US Open in 2022 and last year. He never got past the quarter-finals in Australia, where rival Jannik Sinner won the past two titles.
‘He knows about it. It looks like Rory [McIlroy] when you go for the Masters, you know, those things are tough,” Federer said on Thursday, shortly after the draw for the first major of the year was made. “His momentum shifts towards the first round, and then it’s a point-by-point mentality. That’s it.
“But it is true that at his young age it would be crazy to be able to complete the Grand Slam career now. I hope he does that because for the match that would be an incredibly special moment.”
Alcaraz has not been shy about telling the world that he wants to win the Australian Open to complete a Grand Slam career.
That would make him the ninth man in tennis history to have at least one singles championship in each of the sport’s four most prestigious tournaments – and the youngest at 22 years and just under 9 months at the end of the event.
“It will be my first tournament of the season and it is really the main goal for me,” Alcaraz told The Associated Press. “I’m just going to do the preseason focused on the Australian Open – to be in really good shape for the Australian Open, physically, mentally and tennis-wise. Everything.”
When play begins on the hard courts of Melbourne Park on Sunday, Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek will both be hunting for the one major trophy missing from their collections.
But for Alcaraz, there are 127 other men with different ideas in the draw, Federer noted, including his own old rival and 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic. Federer also called the current rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner, who have split the past eight majors, “great.”
“They are playing incredible tennis,” Federer said. “That French Open final was surreal. It ended in this craziest way, maybe one of the best matches we’ve ever had in our sport.”
Sinner’s missing piece to a Grand Slam career remains Roland-Garros, where he lost the final to Alcaraz last year after a trio of championship points.
“It’s definitely a motivation,” Sinner told the AP. “We will do everything we can to be ready to give my best at every tournament and be ready for the most important matches. That’s what I want.”
As serious as Alcaraz is about getting the job done in Melbourne, he can also joke about it.
“I would trade Australia with Jannik for Roland-Garros,” Alcaraz said with a hearty laugh. “I’d trade that, to be honest.”
Federer visited the Australian Open for the first time since his semi-final loss in 2020 and subsequent retirement in 2022, and he will play a leading role in the tournament’s first gala opening ceremony on Saturday evening.
He does not want to discuss speculation that Serena Williams is considering a comeback – a rumor the 23-time Major winner has denied. Williams published a social media post last month saying she is “NOT coming back” after a spokesperson for the International Tennis Integrity Agency said the 23-time Grand Slam champion had registered with the sport’s drug testing agency. That’s the first step any player looking to retire needs.
“I mean, I heard she was in the doping program, and then I heard she said she’s not coming back,” Federer said. “I mean, for the game, obviously it would be incredible. Serena is such a legend to come back.
“If she decides not to do it, or maybe gives herself an option, I think it’s great to have options in life. Let’s see what she does and wait for an announcement, or not.”
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