PARIS — The good relationship and mutual respect that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz share are part of the legacy of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Michael Chang believes this, having witnessed up close the intense rivalries of the 1980s and noticing the change brought by the Swiss and the left-handed Spaniard decades later.
“Federer and Nadal changed the culture in the locker room, to be honest. The generation that we followed was very competitive, didn’t really talk to each other,” Michael Chang told CLAY in an interview also published in RG Media at the French Open on the day of the 2025 men’s final.
“On court, it’s business: you want to play your best and beat your opponent. Off court, they were kind to everyone, whether you were world No. 2 or No. 100 in doubles. Roger, Rafa, and even Novak are responsible for that transformation. They treated everyone the same and were kind. I think that respect has carried over to the current generation because they respect everyone,” analysed the 53-year-old former player.
Chang holds a record that neither teenage prodigies Nadal, Pete Sampras, nor Alcaraz could break: when he won Roland Garros in 1989 at 17 years and 3 months old, defeating Stefan Edberg in the final, he became the youngest male player to win a Grand Slam. The North American burst onto the pro scene while the era of Lendl, John McEnroe, and Jimmy Connors was still ongoing.
“Alcaraz and Sinner have a very healthy respect for one another. Different than in years past, like a McEnroe-Connors or a McEnroe-Lendl. There was no friendship there,” Chang said in Paris.
Like Federer and Nadal: “Alcaraz and Sinner are not afraid of being in the spotlight”
The former world No. 2 gave CLAY a detailed analysis of the rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner minutes before their first Grand Slam final, which ended in an epic win for the Spaniard in the fifth-set super tiebreak. A battle that lasted 5 hours and 29 minutes.
“After Roger, Andy, and Rafa — and obviously Novak, who’s still competing — there are no better players to lead the way than Alcaraz and Sinner. Both are extremely talented. They’re not afraid to be in the spotlight, and they’re playing the best tennis. While there are other players capable of performing well, these two clearly lead the way,” Chang said.
The 1996 Australian Open and US Open runner-up considers them “incredible” ambassadors for the sport. “Great sportsmanship; tennis is in good hands with them leading.”
Chang also compared the two stars of the current era: “Their styles are a bit different. Carlos has a bit more variety. He takes more risks. Jannik is more methodical, more calculated. He doesn’t come to the net as much as Carlos, but he’s very solid. In that sense, I think they’re different. They share some similarities but also quite a few differences. From what I’ve seen, Jannik is probably more reserved. Both get along very well with other players. They’re great with fans and kids. I’ve seen it firsthand.”
