The world’s top-ranked men’s tennis stars collided when Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in the U.S. Open final this month. Roger Federer theorized that tournament organizers use court speeds to help create those star-studded matchups.
Sinner and Alcaraz have competed in the final of five tournaments this year, including the French Open and Wimbledon. Speaking on Andy Roddick’s “Served” podcast during the 2025 Laver Cup, Federer suggested that homogenized playing surfaces have diminished parity and made upsets more difficult.
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The 20-time Grand Slam champion doubts that any tennis directors mind.
“Obviously, I understand the safety net that the tournament directors see in making the surface slower,” Federer said. “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.
“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.”
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‘We need to fix it’
Jannik Sinner (left) and Carlos Alcaraz pose for a phot before their Men’s Singles Finals match at the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio on Monday August 18, 2025. Sinner retired due to illness after losing five games to Alcaraz.
Federer explained why he wants course corrections to court speeds moving forward.
“That’s why we, the tournament directors, we need to fix it,” Federer said. “We need to have not only fast courts, but what we would want to see is Alcraz or Sinner figure it out on lightning fast. And then have the same match on super slow and see how that matches up.”
An updated rankings system has changed the landscape for players and tournament organizers. To Federer, that means fewer clashes in playing style with court elements more regulated.
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“Back in the day, only 12 tournaments counted, so everybody would play on their favorite surface,” Federer noted. “And then they would sometimes meet, and those were the best matches when you had the attacker against a retriever. And now everyone plays similar.
“It’s because the tournament directors have allowed — with the ball speed and the court speed — that every week is basically the same. And that’s why you can just go from winning, I don’t know, French, Wimbledon, U.S. Open, and just play the same way.”
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Sep 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the Tennis section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.