American tennis legend Andre Agassi always had a soft corner for Carlitos. In fact, he once revealed that not only him but also his wife, Steffi Graf, is a big admirer of his charming attitude and his remarkable tennis skills. “His smile is like, it lights you up, so just watching him sort of capture the imagination of the public, I’m guilty as charged, I’m a fan. He’s just so authentic, so real, so sort of beyond his years.” They love the energy that Carlos Alcaraz brings along with him on the court. “We marvel, me and Steff; we love watching him play. We just go, ‘Look at this guy.’ You just want to watch him.” Alcaraz is now just 22 years old, and he has already won four Grand Slam titles. What are the key aspects in his game, according to Agassi, that separate Alcaraz from other players like Jannik Sinner and Tommy Paul?
If we draw a comparison between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, out of his four Grand Slam titles, two were on grass (2023,2024) and one on clay (2024), while the other one was the 2022 US Open (hard court). On the other hand, the Italian has won all three of his major titles on the hard courts. Alcaraz currently leads the H2H record against Sinner by 6-4. What are the factors in his game that got him the edge over the world number one in the H2H record? During an interview with Tennis Channel, the eight-time Grand Slam champion, Andre Agassi, said, “Alcaraz’s upside on anything slippery is his chance to be a level [above] or have an advantage over Sinner. The one thing that impresses me so much about Alcaraz, and there’s a lot he can improve in my opinion.”
He further added, “The one thing that impresses me about him when I watched him at Wimbledon and I watch him on the slippery grass or the slippery clay…his diminished speed, diminishes less than other fast guys I mean you got a Tommy Paul who’s one of the fastest out there along with De Minaur and Alcaraz and when you watch those guys move to grass or you watch him move to clay you can actually notice there’s a diminish of confidence in their balance in their movement. They can’t quite do as much. Tommy Paul’s had success against Alcaraz on the hard court by using that athleticism but then you get to anything slippery, and it seems like Alcaraz’s, you know, movement doesn’t diminish nearly as much as anybody. It’s almost like he’s you know spaceship, playing against like you know, normal airplanes or something.”
Andre Agassi admired his ability to keep his balance on slippery surfaces, and he believes Alcaraz’s strength is his ability to move forward on grass cover, drop shots, cover shots, and athleticism. He believes the strength in his legs is a key factor behind all these lethal weapons. “So when you start looking at these areas like clay or grass, I give him a little bit of an edge, assuming you know he’s really healthy and feeling good.” However, at the same time, he also hailed Jannik Sinner’s superiority over the Spaniard on the hard courts!
Talking about his admiration for Carlos Alcaraz, during the TiE Global Summit in 2024, the American further claimed, “Alcaraz defends like Novak [Djokovic], has power and spin like [Rafael] Nadal, and has hands and finesse like [Roger] Federer.” In fact, during a previous interaction with the media when he was asked about the players with the best speed, Agassi was again spotted highlighting his preference for Alcaraz over players like Paul and De Minaur.
Now, with the French Open knocking at the door, Alcaraz needs to unleash all of his weapons in Rome, and guess what? He has been doing that quite successfully so far at the Italian and has already reached the SF. What does he have to say about this incredible run on clay?
Carlos Alcaraz manages to successfully take his revenge on Jack Draper
After losing to Jack Draper in the SF of the 2025 Indian Wells Masters, Carlos Alcaraz offered best wishes for the Brit for the final, but at the same time, he mentioned, “Can’t wait for the revenge!” Even before their recent QF clash at the Italian Open, Alcaraz said, “It’s going to be an interesting match for the fans. I think it’s going to be a really beautiful match to watch. As I said, I’m looking forward to playing against him together or to taking revenge from Indian Wells. I will be ready. I’ve to put my game if I want to beat him.“
Mission accomplished! Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jack Draper by 6-4,6-4 in this match. What was the secret to this success this time? “I played with such a high rhythm during the whole match and didn’t let him dominate in the rallies. It was a good weapon for me, and I’m really proud how I approached the match,” said Carlitos. With this win, he has not only reached the SF at the Italian Open for the very first time in his career but also secured his spot as the second seed at the French Open. It means he and Sinner will now be on opposite sides of the draw.
Speaking on this, Alcaraz said, “I think it’s great being (the) second seed in Roland Garros, knowing that I’m not going to see Jannik before the final if I reach it, I think it’s great. It’s something that I didn’t think about, honestly. Before coming here, the No. 1, it wasn’t a goal. Knowing that it’s a great thing.“
Carlos Alcaraz currently has a 28-5 win-loss record with 13-1 on clay. He’ll next face Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in the SF of the Italian Open. The Spaniard has a 5-1 lead over Musetti, with the latest win coming at the Monte Carlo final. Who’ll win this battle in Rome this time?
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