Jannik Sinner appears to be an unstoppable force in the men’s game after his stunning return to action at the Italian Open, but tennis legend Andre Agassi believes he could be stopped by his great rival Carlos Alcaraz at the upcoming French Open.
Sinner has snapped back into top form after a three-month doping suspension to turn in some powerful performances in front of his home fans in Rome.
That has led many to conclude the world No 1 is the favourite to succeed Alcaraz as French Open champion at Roland Garros, but Agassi offered up an alternative view to the Tennis Channel.
“What impresses me most about Alcaraz, although I believe he still has many things to improve, is when I’ve seen him on grass or slippery ground, his way of slowing down, especially compared to other faster opponents like Tommy Paul or Alex De Minaur,” said Agassi.
“These two, for instance, lose a lot of their confidence and balance whenever they step onto clay or grass, they don’t move the same. Paul has had great success against Alcaraz, but it’s always been on hard courts.
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“I don’t know how Alcaraz manages not to lose all these components when switching to other surfaces; it’s like a spaceship playing against regular planes, his strength, balance, and agility are always there.
“On grass, it’s amazing how he reaches every ball, covers drop shots, moves athletically as if it were nothing. I suppose the secret lies in his legs, where all that strength comes from. When he competes on these two surfaces, he starts with that advantage, as long as he’s healthy and feels the ball well.”
While Agassi likes Alcaraz’s chances of beating Sinner on clay and grass courts, he admits the Italian is close to being unstoppable on hard courts.
Sinner has won the last three Grand Slams on hard courts in Australian and America, with Agassi suggesting that dominance will continue.
“Alcaraz’s upside on anything that’s slippery is his chance to have an advantage over Sinner”
Andre Agassi gave his thorough take on the Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz comparsions.#TCLive pic.twitter.com/zPOPR4EreM
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 15, 2025
“When you see Sinner playing on hard courts, the feeling is that he can handle all these balls, there’s a lot of action on the court, but Jannik is able to get on top of that ball, even overcome the effects and rotation of Carlos’s ball,” he stated.
“The way Sinner strikes the ball is by punishing it, but always with intentionality and maximum energy. When he starts playing this way, especially on hard courts, as he did in the last US Open, it’s hard to stop.”
When asked whether he feels Alcaraz or Sinner would end up with the most Grand Slam titles, Agassi added: “It’s a fascinating question, perhaps the question of the moment, given what both are achieving and what they already represent for the world of sports.
“People wonder who of the two will end up being better, who will have a better career. Whatever we say will be more of a prediction than reality, but for me, the key is that Alcaraz is above any slippery condition he may face, that’s where his great opportunity to outdo Sinner lies.”
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