Carlos Alcaraz has been compared to the Big Three many, many times, but that doesn't mean that he will be similarly successful, according to Andre Agassi.
There hasn't been a player as talented as Alcaraz on the ATP Tour in a very long time. The last similarly talented teenager was probably Rafael Nadal, who the young Spaniard is often compared to.
He's not compared only to Nadal. Many find similarities between Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, as well as Roger Federer. He's just a special player, and it's not surprising that thanks to that, his name is mentioned in the same sentence as the legends of the sport.
At 21, he already has four Grand Slam titles to his name, he became the youngest World No. 1 in the history of men's tennis, and he has won 16 career titles, out of which five came at the ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.
But his achievements are not even as impressive as his tennis when he plays at his best. Alcaraz can be incredibly overwhelming for his opponents, mainly thanks to possessing qualities that the rest of the Tour doesn't have.
He can hit his shots not just with incredible power but also very precisely, taking the time away from his opponents. On top of that, his touch is magical at times, allowing him to produce highlight shots in almost every match that he plays.
Former ATP World No. 1 Andre Agassi recognized these qualities when speaking at the TiE Global Summit 2024, as per Tennis365. He mentioned the comparisons to Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer and how Alcaraz resembles every one of them.
"I’m not a genius and I don’t have a crystal ball. What I can tell you is Alcaraz defends like Novak [Djokovic], has power and spin like, [Rafael] Nadal, and has hands and finesse like [Roger] Federer."
At the same time, Agassi was very cautious when predicting any future for the 21-year-old Spaniard. He knows that certain traits don't guarantee success.
Over the years, there were many extremely talented players, who failed to reach their potential due to various reasons, and the former American player named some of those.
Alcaraz can make bad decisions, for example, when it comes to his team. He can also be injured frequently, something that has already happened to him, and he might also be unlucky in many different ways.
That's why Agassi warned against predicting the same success for Alcaraz as the likes of Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer achieved.
"But just because he has the best of all three doesn’t mean he can do what they did because there are so many other parts to the game. Decision-making, injuries, luck… there are so many things."
Alcaraz will try to avoid all of that and continue his successful journey. He will have another chance to add to his Grand Slam collection already in January, as he will be one of the top favorites at the 2025 Australian Open.