Carlos Alcaraz won his first clash with Jannik Sinner when the top two players in the men’s game met in a hardcourt exhibition in 2026.
World No. 1 Alcaraz won 7-5 7-6 against a player just below the world ranking in the Hyundai Card Super Match held in Korea.
Spain’s Alcaraz and Italy’s Sinner will not play in any official tournaments ahead of the Australian Open in Melbourne from January 18 to February 1.
Sinner (left) and Alcaraz (right) will be the favorites to win the Australian Open starting January 18.
Sinner won his previous two Australian Open titles, defeating Daniil Medvedev in two sets in 2024 and meeting Alexander Zverev in straight sets a year ago.
If Alcaraz wins at Melbourne Park, he will achieve a career grand slam.
Sinner and Alcaraz have shared the last eight Grand Slam titles, with four each since Novak Djokovic won his 24th major title at the 2023 US Open.
How the Sinner and Alcaraz rivalry played out in 2025
In 2025, Sinner backed up her triumph in Australia by winning her first Wimbledon title with a four-set win over Alcaraz.
However, he lost to his big rival in the French Open and US Open finals, before Alcaraz came back from two sets down to win a stunning match at Roland Garros.
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Highest score shared by world’s best players Alcaraz and Sinner in 2025 match
Overall last year, Alcaraz beat Sinner in four of their six meetings, advancing to the finals in each. He also dominated the Italian at the Masters 1000 events in Rome and Cincinnati.
Following Wimbledon, Sinner’s second win over Alcaraz came in the final of the season-ending ATP Finals in his home country, with their career ATP Tour tie tied 10-6 in favor of Alcaraz.
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Highlights from the ATP Finals where Sinner beat Alcaraz to win the title
Sinner allows young fans to get play points against Alcaraz.
In Saturday’s exhibition, play was halted in the fifth game of the second set when Alcaraz rallied with a young fan who had temporarily received Sinner’s racket.
Sinner, who sat in the fans’ box and watched his replacement score a forehand victory, later said: “It was an exciting game, that’s why we came here, obviously the main target is Australia.
“Exhibition games are different. It’s a little more comfortable on the court and it entertains the crowd a little more with different shots and action.”
“We all need the support of our fans,” Alcaraz added. “To play good tennis like I did today and do my best, I needed to feel the love of the people.”
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