Andre Agassi recently spoke up about the reason Carlos Alcaraz hits the ball better than him with the two-handed backhand. Agassi’s admission came in the buildup to Alcaraz’s semifinal showdown against Lorenzo Musetti at the 2025 French Open.
Agassi joined the TNT Sports panel of experts covering this year’s Roland Garros on Friday, June 6. Here, the former No. 1 and eight-time Major champion was asked to assess the changes Alcaraz has made to his two-handed backhand. According to the 55-year-old, the Spaniard’s revamped technique makes his backhand more controlled, powerful and unpredictable. Agassi said:
“Look how he’s taking his racket back. He takes it back with a straight right arm. His left is way under control. So, it’s like a golf swing, right? You get to the top of your swing, you have that pause, you drop in the slot and then you let it go. He’s getting himself through that slot right away and that’s what I love about it, because that not only gives him the option to sort of settle down some misfires, but he can hold the ball longer.”
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He added:
"They don't know if he's going to hold, pull it cross(court) or if he's going to hold and inside of line, and he can just leave his opponent with their jocks dropped on the ground. I mean, look at this, he can go either direction with it, because in tennis, power and control come from time spent on racket with the ball."
Andre Agassi went on to explain his own inability during his playing days to hit the two-handed backhand like Carlos Alcaraz, attributing it to how his feet moved in relation to his hands.
"So you're talking about a guy who's crazy athletic. The issue I had with taking it back like Novak or Alcaraz, my hands were so tied to my feet that once I got in that position, I felt like my feet stopped, and I needed every bit of action in my feet. These guys don't need it. They're so damn fast," Agassi stated.
Agassi recently also featured as a guest on an episode of the 'Served with Andy Roddick' podcast. During his appearance on the podcast, the 55-year-old spoke about Alcaraz's overall game and how it's a joy to watch for tennis fans.
"Carlos Alcaraz is still so raw" - Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi believes Carlos Alcaraz's game, despite yielding an astonishing 19 singles titles so far, is still far from being fine-tuned. According to the eight-time Grand Slam winner, fans should enjoy the Spaniard's electic on-court flair before his game evolves and matures. Agassi told Andy Roddick:
"He’s still so raw. I hope he learns how to maximise, and we should enjoy watching him before he does, because it’s so much fun for the fans to watch how he plays the game. But he still has so much more upside from a standpoint of longevity."
Defending French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz received a walkover into the final after his semifinal opponent Lorenzo Musetti retired mid-match with injury. At the time of Musetti's unfortunate retirement, the Spaniard had a two-sets-to-one lead against the Italian and had broken him early on in the fourth set.
Later, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic in the other semifinal, setting up a tantalizing final against the Spaniard.
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