"Alcaraz is calmer, more mature, aware": Ljubicic doesn't see much difference between Alcaraz and Rune, gap getting thinner

The former coach of Roger Federer expressed his opinion that the gap between Holger Rune and Carlos Alcaraz is becoming smaller.

There have been only two encounters between Alcaraz and Rune, with each player securing a victory. The first match took place in the 2021 Next Gen tournament, with Alcaraz emerging as the winner (4-3, 4-2, 4-0), and the second match occurred in the 2022 Paris Masters 1000, where Rune advanced to the next round due to Alcaraz's retirement when the score was 6-3, 6-6 in favor of Rune.

In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, the Croatian Ivan Ljubicic commented on the emerging rivalry between both players. Although they haven't faced each other frequently on the court, they are considered the two main representatives of the new generation of tennis, and many expect a long-standing rivalry between them. The former coach of Federer highlighted Rune's confidence and Alcaraz's maturity.

“Holger Rune believes a lot in himself, it's important to have this drive to always want more. Alcaraz is calmer, more mature, aware, and is able to better manage situations on the pitch. I don't see a huge [gap] between the two. Indeed, it is getting thinner and thinner,” Ljubicic said.

He also referred to the level shown by Daniil Medvedev on clay this year, precisely the player who will face Rune in the final of the Rome Open this Sunday.

"We're still talking about a player who was also number 1 in the world, who won the US Open, so someone who plays very well. On clay, however, his serve is less incisive than the fast one, his groundstrokes are less annoying, and I really don't think red clay will become his favorite surface," the Croatian said.

The semifinals of the Rome Open saw Holger Rune secure a victory against Casper Ruud (6-7, 6-4, 6-2), and the Russian Medvedev did the same against Stefanos Tsitsipas (7-5, 7-5). The only encounter between them took place in the quarterfinals of Monte-Carlo, with a two-set victory for the 20-year-old athlete.