Andre Agassi was part of the experts panel for the Netflix Slam 2024. As Carlos Alcaraz walked away with the win, he claimed on commentary during the live broadcast that the Spaniard outdoes Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in certain elements of the game.
The American legend believes Alcaraz delivers more RPMs (revolutions per minute) on the ball than Nadal, making him spin the ball with pace. The senior Spaniard is renowned for his high-RPM topspin forehand. However, when it comes to playing flatter shots especially on surfaces such as indoor hard courts, Alcaraz has the RPM advantage.
Andre Agassi added on commentary that Carlos Alcaraz is better than Novak Djokovic when it comes to his defensive skills. While Djokovic is renowned to be exceptional with his ability to grind it out in rallies and retrieve the ball from any position on court, Agassi saying this about Alcaraz is a massive statement.
Carlos Alcaraz is one of the quickest and most powerful players on the Tour. He is able to generate immense force because of his strength and athleticism. Agassi also agreed with this on-air, adding it enables the World No.2 to hit incredible shots from tight angles. The eight-time Grand Slam winner opined Alcaraz always employs a high-intensity style, playing ‘in the fourth gear’ from the beginning. He slows down, in ‘second gear’ as Agassi said, only if his performance is lacking and the match isn’t going as planned.
The 1996 Olympics gold medallist has not shied away from showering praise on Alcaraz. After the exhibition, Agassi said the future of tennis is in good hands with players like the two-time Grand Slam winner (AOL). He also said he would have stood no chance if he faced Alcaraz or Nadal. The trio also linked up in Las Vegas ahead of the Netflix Slam.
Andre Agassi further added that Rafael Nadal needs to step up his aggression, especially in the last leg of his career. He said as players get older, they lose athleticism, for which they need to make up with competitiveness and aggression. Many, including Agassi, noted that Nadal’s movement was not great during the Netflix Slam.
Carlos Alcaraz defeats Rafael Nadal at the Netflix Slam 2024
The Netflix Slam 2024 was the media giant’s first foray into live streaming tennis, and safe to say it was a great debut. After a couple of opening acts featuring stars like the Bryan brothers, John Isner, and Taylor Fritz, the star duo took to the court for the main event.
Rafael Nadal was playing for the first time since the Brisbane International in early January. After yet another, albeit shorter, injury break, he hit the ground running. The 22-time Grand Slam champion won the first set 6-3 as both Spaniards played amazing tennis.
Carlos Alcaraz bounced back to win the second set 6-4 and force a decider. The last set of the match was a thrilling 10-point tie break. That also ended up being tied 9-9 after Nadal saved the match point with a jaw-dropping forehand winner.
Alcaraz, however, held strong to ultimately win 14-12 and be crowned the winner of the Netflix Slam 2024. Fans could witness a rematch soon as both icons will participate in the 2024 Indian Wells Masters. Nadal being unseeded means they could run into each other in the early rounds.
