"We may not have Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic; we're going to be just fine": Tennis journalist on Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner's rise

Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim has expressed confidence in tennis' ability to thrive even after Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic leave the sport, with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner taking up their mantle.

Alcaraz and Sinner recently faced off in a blockbuster semifinal clash at the Indian Wells Masters. The Italian dominated the first set, clinching the opener 6-1. Alcaraz bounced back in spectacularly, though, pulling off a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory.

With the triumph, the Spaniard thwarted Sinner's pursuit of the World No. 2 ranking and ended the reigning Australian Open champion's perfect 16-0 start to the season. Additionally, he leveled their head-to-head record at 4-4.

Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim discussed the riveting clash on the latest episode of the 'Served with Andy Roddick' podcast. Wertheim expressed his admiration for Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's compelling rivalry and personal dynamic, highlighting their mutual respect and awareness of their roles as the torchbearers of the sport.

"I love this rivalry, I love what these two guys stand for. I like the relationship to each other. These are not necessarily buddies that are going to go shopping together during the off-season.

"At the same time, there's a level of respect, there seems to be an awareness that these are the two torchbearers going forward," he said (at 13:12).

Wertheim also suggested that the rise of Alcaraz and Sinner signals a promising future for the sport after Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are no longer on the scene.

"What do we get, we got a three-set match and the guy who won the match went on to win the tournament. And now these two guys who are close in age, turned pro the same year. I think Alcaraz now has one more title, check me on this, I think now he moved ahead 13-12, but the head-to-head is 4-4," he said.

"And to your prior point, We may not have Roger, Rafa, Novak, we're going to be just fine here," he added.

---

Jannik Sinner on his relationship with Carlos Alcaraz: "We have a lot of respect for each other; off the court, we don't speak that much"

Jannik Sinner (left) and Carlos Alcaraz

Ahead of his Miami Open campaign, Jannik Sinner shed light on his relationship with Carlos Alcaraz, emphasizing their mutual respect for each other's on-court abilities despite their limited interactions off the court.

"When we play against (each other), it's a very good matchup; we both try our best.

"We have a lot of respect for each other and, obviously, off the court we don't speak that much because he (Carlos Alcaraz) has his own things, and I have my things," Sinner said during his pre-tournament press conference.

Following his triumph at the Indian Wells Masters, Alcaraz is looking to complete the prestigious Sunshine Double at the Miami Open. After a first-round bye, the Spaniard takes on compatriot Roberto Carballes Baena in his opener.

Meanwhile, last year's runner-up, Jannik Sinner, kicks off his campaign against fellow Italian Andrea Vavassori.