Tennis icon Roger Federer's ex-coach Ivan Ljubicic has made future predictions for Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
In an interview with the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, he analysed Alcaraz's victory in the Indian Wells semi-final against Jannik Sinner.
The Croatian ex-player explained how the young Italian and the young Spaniard will be the focal points in the upcoming future of tennis.
"On the other side of the net there is always an opponent, let's not forget that. And in the case of Alcaraz, it is an opponent who has already won two Slams at the age of twenty.
"There are very few players who can put Sinner in difficulty, and it is not certain that the Spaniard's winning Indian Wells tactics will bear the same fruits in the future, because Jannik will have found the adjustments," explained Ljubicic.
"Jannik still has room for improvement and doesn't need to distort himself: he will simply have to refine the details of his game. He is now a super player, the others must find the right keys in a sustained way to beat him.
"I believe that at this moment, waiting to understand how Novak Djokovic is, Alcaraz and Sinner are ahead of everyone else and will remain there in the coming years too. They will be the reference points," he said.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner battled to a draw in the head-to-head match, determining the winner of the semi-final at the Indian Wells Masters 1000, with the match ending at 4-4. The BNP Paribas event marked a pivotal moment for the Spaniard, who hadn't clinched a tournament victory since the last Wimbledon.
Alcaraz conceded that he had experienced a slight downturn, but in California, he has rediscovered his enjoyment on the court. Alcaraz and Sinner have now emerged as the leading figures among the new generation of tennis players, and according to Ivan Ljubicic, they will vie for the most prestigious titles for many years to come.