Back in Rome, before Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s Italian Open final clash, tennis icon Andre Agassi confidently said, “When you start to look at clay or grass I would give him a bit of an edge, assuming he is healthy and good.” That bold call aged well as Alcaraz stormed through the clay season like his idol, Rafael Nadal, defending his title in Paris and booking another Roland Garros SF. Yet, something has shifted! Despite the Spaniard’s dazzling form, Agassi has now offered a risky new verdict on him, one that raises eyebrows. But, what exactly did the 8-time GS champ say this time?

Carlos Alcaraz delivered a masterclass under the lights at Roland Garros on Tuesday night, dismantling American ace Tommy Paul 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 to book his spot in the SF for the 3rd straight year. The second seed was in scintillating form yesterday, hammering 39 winners to just 22 unforced errors, and extending his H2H record over Paul to 5-2. 

Their latest meeting added another chapter to their growing rivalry, which also includes the Spaniard’s victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Yet, despite this dominant performance, tennis legend Andre Agassi, who is set to join the Roland Garros commentary team for the SF and finals, offered a risky and revealing take on the Spaniard.

Speaking to Andy Roddick on the latest episode of his “Served” podcast, which aired yesterday and was recorded just before Carlos Alcaraz’s QF clash with Tommy Paul, Andre Agassi made an intriguing and somewhat risky assessment of the young Spaniard. While comparing Alcaraz with fellow rising star and top seed Jannik Sinner, Agassi pointed out a subtle yet significant observation. “Speaking of, he’s a little edgy this tournament. I don’t know when you’re airing this, but we’re talking about the French Open, it’s been a little edgy,” he remarked.

What Agassi seemed to hint at was the difference in composure and form between the two young guns in this year’s French Open. Despite coming off a 3-month suspension because of a doping controversy and falling short in the Italian Open final, Sinner has cruised through the French Open, not dropping a single set until his latest match against Alexander Bublik today. In contrast, the Spaniard, while dominant in his straight-sets win over Paul, has dropped 3 sets en route to the quarterfinals, raising minor concerns about his consistency.

Nevertheless, the numbers remain impressive, though. With his commanding one-hour, 34-minute win over Tommy Paul, Alcaraz became the 1st defending champion to reach the semi-finals in Paris the following year since Rafael Nadal in 2021. Now 22, the Spaniard will look to book a place in his 5th GS final when he faces Lorenzo Musetti on Friday.

However, as he storms into another SF appearance at the Mecca of clay, Alcaraz seems to be swinging freely, radiating growing confidence.

Carlos Alcaraz opens up after his win against Tommy Paul

Carlos Alcaraz showcased his exceptional skill on Court Philippe-Chatrier last night, advancing to the Roland Garros semifinals. This victory puts him on the path to becoming just the third man in this century to successfully defend his title there, joining Rafael Nadal (who achieved it ten times) and Gustavo Kuerten (in 2001). At the end of the 2nd set, Alcaraz had dropped just one game and appeared poised to set a personal record for his most dominant GS win. His previous best came against J.J. Wolf in the 1st round last year, where he lost just 4 games overall.

Though he didn’t surpass that benchmark this time, the Spaniard still advanced in emphatic fashion, producing a commanding display that had the crowd on their feet. Alcaraz’s clean strikes from both wings, combined with deep, heavy topspin, consistently overwhelmed Paul, leaving the American unable to find his footing in the rallies.

Despite the American having beaten Alcaraz in Montreal (2022) and Miami (2023), he could not mount any resistance this time. Hampered earlier in the tournament by an abdominal injury, the 28-year-old couldn’t gain any traction under the Parisian sky, as the second seed’s intensity and precision were simply too much.

“I could close my eyes and everything went in,” Alcaraz said after the match. “My feeling today was unbelievable. I was trying to hit every shot at 100 percent, not thinking about anything else, but just hitting. Today was one of those matches when everything just went in.”

With a 5-1 H2H lead over upcoming opponent Lorenzo Musetti, Alcaraz now looks ahead to Friday’s SF clash. Will he extend his dominance, or can Musetti flip the script? What’s your take?