🆚 “Sincaraz” isn’t Roger vs. Rafa, or Novak vs. either—it’s more like this rivalry
Both Annacone and Gilbert have coached legendary players. And for a time, they coached against each other—when Andre Agassi, with Gilbert, took on Pete Sampras, with Annacone.
(With those respective coaches, Sampras led Agassi, 13-8.)
Annacone recalled one tournament where, after Pete played Andre, Sampras’ second-serve speed was six MPH faster than during the rest of the event.
“I said, why is that? And [Pete] said, well, it’s really simple—because against Andre, I have to.
In a way, Andre just liberated Pete’s strength.
Like Sampras, Sinner served brilliantly to win a big final. (Gilbert also compared Sinner to Roger Federer, another “dime server.”) You can chalk that up to Sinner’s natural ability, but also the pressure Alcaraz is applying—forcing Jannik to respond.
The personalities of the two titans also recall the fire-and-ice dichotomy of the demonstrative Agassi, and the stoic Sampras.
“Other than the game style,” says Annacone, “Alcaraz is a little bit like Agassi, and Sinner is a lot like Sampras … that’s what makes the rivalry fascinating. Different individuals and fan bases that love them both.”
👉 READ MORE: Jannik Sinner found his serve and forehand just when he needed them, and beat Carlos Alcaraz—and the wind—in a tactical tug of war
