In the days following his Queen’s Club triumph last week, a victory that kept his post-French Open momentum rolling, Carlos Alcaraz did what any 22-year-old tennis star might do after back-to-back titles: he unplugged. From teeing off with Andy Murray on the golf course to strolling through central London and chasing down good food and even better vibes, the Spaniard hit reset in style. But the downtime didn’t last long. He was back to business, laser-focused on a singular mission: winning Wimbledon for a third year in a row. And for inspiration, he’s tapping into the legacy of none other than the grass-court king himself: Roger Federer.

Though Federer has stepped away from the sport, his aura still looms large over Centre Court. Fans remember everything, the elegance, the shot-making, and yes, even the fashion. One outfit in particular stands out: the now-iconic beige button-down cardigan the 20-time Grand Slam champion wore during the 2008 Wimbledon. Complete with a hand-embroidered RF insignia on the chest, it wasn’t just a fashion statement; it was tied to one of the most emotionally charged moments in Federer’s career. That year, he was chasing a sixth straight Wimbledon title, only to have his reign halted in a five-set epic by Rafael Nadal.

Fast forward to 2025, and Carlos Alcaraz, chasing his own slice of history with a third consecutive Wimbledon title and another Channel Slam channelled the Swiss maestro in his own style. Walking onto Centre Court for his opening match against Fabio Fognini, the Spaniard sported an ivory cardigan strikingly similar to Federer’s.

Despite never sharing the court in an official ATP match, Roger Federer and Carlos Alcaraz have built a warm, cross-generational bond through a series of meaningful interactions both on and off the court.

Alcaraz has often spoken about Federer being one of his biggest idols, and their mutual respect has only grown over time. At last year’s Laver Cup, the young Spaniard revealed that he looks to the Swiss legend for inspiration, especially when it comes to creativity and flair in his shot-making. “I think one of the first tennis players who brought these kind of shots, making the impossible possible, was Roger,” the 22-year-old said. “I watched him many, many times, his matches. He hit shots, unbelievable shots. “Every kid wants to imitate him a little bit, and that’s why I’m trying in every practice, in every match, trying to bring some good shots in the match, to make the people enjoy watching tennis a little bit.”

Carlos Alcaraz’s admiration for Roger Federer isn’t just something he talks about; it’s a visible part of his game. And as one American tennis great points out, the similarities between the two are more than just surface-level.

American ATP legend breaks down key similarities between Roger Federer and Carlos Alcaraz

Andy Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion, recently broke down the contrasts between Federer and Alcaraz, particularly on grass courts. While many might compare the young Spaniard to Rafael Nadal, Roddick believes Alcaraz’s style is far more Federer-esque when it comes to playing on grass.

With a staggering 90.6 percent win rate on the surface, the highest of any player with more than 20 matches on grass in the Open Era, Alcaraz heads into Wimbledon as the second seed and a clear favorite for the title at SW19. On his podcast ‘Served with Andy Roddick’, the former world number one explained what makes Alcaraz so effective on grass, drawing a direct line to Federer’s style.

“The lines that he takes from the back of the court are never wrong. If he wants to cut one off, it’s Roger-esque. Roger on his forehand never took a bad angle or a bad line — to the ball, in stride — he’s able to read the pacing, adjust his footwork, and then either transition off the forehand in, or not,” Roddick said.

He then compared Alcaraz’s natural ease on grass to Nadal’s more calculated transition from clay: “Even Rafa had to work and be a little bit more intentional about it than Carlos going from clay to grass. On clay, you have to take different angles to the ball, right?”

Roddick continued, “He reads all of that in half a second, and he is so good about his angles to the ball. You never really see that awkward grass-court out of position that you see with the rest of us chuckers, right?”

Now, with his third consecutive Wimbledon crown in sight, Carlos Alcaraz begins his 2025 campaign with a first-round clash against veteran Fabio Fognini. Catch all the live action on our Wimbledon blog!