Ivanisevic chooses between Sinner and Alcaraz: "I'll go with.."

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Just a few months remain before Goran Ivanisevic returns to the spotlight in the tennis world. The Croatian hasn't taken long to become part of a new elite coaching team: Elena Rybakina has chosen him to guide the Kazakh player back to her best version, aiming for Grand Slam finals once again. The former coach of names like Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic has been closely monitoring the health of the circuit after parting ways with Nole, detailing his new partnership with Rybakina, discussing the current state of the circuit, and sharing his opinion on Novak's current phase.

He shared his thoughts in an interview with Sasa Ozmo for Tennis Majors, where he also talked about Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. When asked to choose between the two, the Croatian pointed out that "when they are at their best, I believe Sinner is better," providing a key reason why he rates Sinner higher than Alcaraz. "He is more consistent throughout the match, whereas Alcaraz can go from hitting incredible shots to making easy mistakes. This year, Carlos has had some defeats that I can't explain... if we take Novak out of the equation, both will dominate anyway, far ahead of the rest," emphasized Goran, ruling out contenders like Alexander Zverev from the race for major titles.

"Zverev has too many ups and downs. He plays great until a point, until a match where he needs to click, where he has to play his best... and that's when he fails. When you face Sinner and Alcaraz, you must always be at your best.", Ivanisevic stated without hesitation. And Novak? Where does the Serbian stand in the debate for supremacy in the ATP circuit? The Croatian mentions variables such as draws, rankings, and motivation... but he never loses faith in his great friend.

"I can't know if he's motivated or how much, but when he decides to play, it means he's hungry. Sinner and Alcaraz are well ahead of the rest, but I place Novak alongside them, because when he wants to play, in my opinion, he's still the best in the world. The big question is how much he wants to play. We saw it at the Olympics: if he steps onto the court like that, he can still win a Grand Slam. It also depends on his ranking, the draw, when he might face Sinner or Alcaraz... there are many factors, but can he do it? Yes, without a doubt. I would never count him out. And fortunately for me, I don't have to go against Nole, I can continue being his fan unless he switches to women's tennis", the Croatian humorously commented.

ON HIS NEW COLLABORATION WITH RYBAKINA

Ivanisevic ventures, as hinted with a touch of irony, into (still) unfamiliar territory for him. As head coach of Elena Rybakina, the responsibility is immense, but so is the confidence that the Kazakh can (and should) reclaim Grand Slam titles. "I needed a 180-degree turn after being with Novak. I won everything with him, so I'm excited to have a new challenge like this. I never envisioned myself in women's tennis when I was in men's tennis, but now I don't see myself on the ATP circuit.

I don't know Elena on a personal level yet, but I know that she has room for improvement in all aspects. She can achieve better results. It's going to be interesting. My friend Zule is her fitness coach, we both coincided when we were with Tomas Berdych, and what is said about her in the locker room is that she's a fantastic person. In terms of tennis, she has a great serve, she's tall, a strong hitter who plays aggressively and won Wimbledon, just like me. I feel I can teach her things. She's already the world #5, but I'm convinced that she can still win more Grand Slams. For now, we'll take it easy, do the preseason together, and I'll travel to Australia with her. From there, we'll see. No pressure."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Ivanisevic elige entre Sinner y Alcaraz: "Me quedo con..."