Andre Agassi, in a conversation with the US Open, shared his vision of the perfect tennis player, selecting different qualities and shots from various players. The tournament shared the video of this discussion on social media.
When asked about which player can provide the best speed, Agassi didn’t think twice before naming the youngsters. The first name that rolled off his tongue was the 4-time grand slam champion Carlos Alcaraz. He also chose Australian Alex de Minaur and American Tommy Paul.
“It’s the transition people that you have to worry about, right? And when it comes to that, like the fastest guys on the tour now, three guys unquestionably: Alcaraz, de Minaur and Tommy Paul,” said Agassi.
The former world number 1 also mentioned further that Alcaraz was the most dangerous of the three, in terms of speed and quickness. “And out of those guys, I would worry most about Alcaraz, second Tommy Paul, third de Minaur. Because they are fine being on defense but they are going to try to turn that point around unquestionably. So like, I go Alcaraz,” he added.
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However, what was a bit surprising for everybody was the absence of Rafael Nadal from the combination as Agassi didn’t pick the Spaniard for any of the shots.
This is surprising considering the love and admiration Andre holds for Rafa. Earlier, when he was asked who would he pick as the GOAT of tennis among the Big 3, he named Rafa at the top, followed by Roger Federer.
“I’d put Nadal No. 1, Federer No. 2,” told Agassi to a Singapore newspaper Straits Times, and then justified his answer, “It’s just remarkable to me what he has done, and he has done it all during Federer’s prime.”
Agassi’s Perfect Player
Other players who made it to Agassi’s perfect player combination were Federer, Novak Djokovic, Pete Sampras, John Isner, and himself. The former American tennis star picked himself for his backhand. Explaining that whenever he played a backhand, he had control over his racquet and knew exactly where the ball was going to land.
When asked about the best serve, he named John Isner and also thanked his stars for not getting an opportunity to play against his fellow American. Agassi then chose Novak’s mental strength, describing how the Serb accomplishes whatever he decides and this is because of how strong he is in the mind.
When asked about the best forehand, the former world number 1 immediately named the Swiss maestro Roger Federer, who is known for playing the shot with so much beauty and elegance. But he also admitted that Pete Sampras hit the running forehand better than Roger.
