Andre Agassi Pinpoints Major Differences in Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s Game Style

Jannik Sinner will be locking horns with Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 French Open if they both progress to the championship match.


Andre Agassi Pinpoints Major Differences in Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s Game Style

Jannik Sinner, Andre Agassi, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/The Tennis Letter, Served with Andy Roddick, Carlos Alcaraz.4K)

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are in Paris chasing the 2025 French Open title. The Spaniard went past Tommy Paul to move into his third semifinal in the clay-court Major.

Sinner will be playing against Alexander Bublik for a spot in the last four for the second time. Last year, he lost a grueling five-setter in the semifinals against the four-time Grand Slam champion. If they reach the final, they will lock horns with each other for the first time in a Grand Slam tournament.

Amid the Roland Garros, Andre Agassi appeared for an interview with his former rival Andy Roddick on the later’s Served podcast. The 2003 US Open champion asked the eight-time Grand Slam champion about his opinion on the two young rivals.

The thing that amazes me most watching Carlos play…like how little his speed diminishes on clay and grass.

Andre Agassi said

Agassi observed that the players who play fast tennis, their speed and court coverage go down on the grass, and they are very careful in the corners. But it’s not the case with Alcaraz.

Even if you slide into him, the first step out has to be very careful, second step has to be your push so everybody’s movement comes down a touch, his didn’t.

Andre Agassi added

Alcaraz so far has won three titles on the grass, one Queen’s Club Championships (in 2023), and two back-to-back Wimbledon he lifted by beating Djokovic in the finals in 2023 and 2024. Agassi explained how Sinner’s game is different than Alcaraz’s.

Sinner is the exact opposite. He’s constantly maximizing, he’s never hit a ball, he doesn’t really need to…And when he does let one rip, it makes you wonder if you know if he was forced to what that gear would really look like, because he’s taking 85% cuts.

Carlos Alcaraz will meet Lorenzo Musetti for the third time this season

Carlos Alcaraz has made it to the final of every clay-court tournament he played before the Roland Garros. After winning the Rotterdam Open for the first time in his career, the reigning Wimbledon champion entered the clay swing without a Sunshine Double title under his belt for the first time since 2021.

Carlos Alcaraz Lorenzo Musetti Monte Carlo Masters 2025
Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti (via Instagram/ATP)

But on clay, no one has dominated more than him on the ATP Tour this season. He beat Lorenzo Musetti to win his career’s first Monte Carlo Masters, but ended up losing the Barcelona Open final to Holger Rune.

At the Italian Open then, the 22-year-old squared off against Jannik Sinner, for whom the Rome Masters 1000 was his first tournament after his three-month doping. The three-time Grand Slam champion was no match for the defending French Open winner, as he lost the match in straight sets.

To make it to another clay-court final, Alcaraz, who is also chasing his 11th title on the red dirt, will have to go past Musetti in the semifinals. The two youngsters have met six times and Alcaraz clinched the victory on five of those occasions.

Musetti’s lone win came in the 2022 Hamburg European Open final. They will also be facing each other for the second time at the Roland Garros, following the fourth round of the 2023 season.

Alcaraz will be pitted against Musetti for the third time this season, as apart from the Monte Carlo final, they also met in the semifinal of the Italian Open. Before scheduling the match against the Murcia native, Musetti overcame Frances Tiafoe in four sets.

Musetti has progressed to the semifinal of all the clay-court tournaments he has played this season. The winner of this semifinal match will face Sinner, Alexander Bublik, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, or last year’s French Open runner-up Alexander Zverev.

Also read: Cameron Norrie Reveals the Most Underrated Aspect of Novak Djokovic’s Game After Roland Garros Exit