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World number one tennis player Carlos Alcaraz defeated his great rival Jannik Sinner in an entertaining exhibition match in South Korea on Saturday, just ahead of the Australian Open.
The match took place a mere eight days before the Melbourne Grand Slam, marking both players’ first appearances of the year, with the Spanish world number one securing a 7-5, 7-6 (8/6) victory in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 12,000 in Incheon.
Neither player will compete again until the Australian Open, where Italy’s world number two Sinner is the reigning two-time champion.
South Korean organisers have not disclosed the earnings for either player from the event, but reports from Italy suggest each may earn over $2 million for the match, which lasted one hour and 47 minutes.
The match retained a light-hearted atmosphere, with the players entertaining the packed audience with trick shots behind their backs, inviting cheers, and responding to audience calls with heart gestures.
“Jannik, we finished the season playing together. We started the season playing together,” Alcaraz said on court afterwards, addressing Sinner.
Over the past two years, Alcaraz and Sinner have dominated men’s tennis, sharing all four Grand Slam titles between them in 2024 and 2025.
While they are fierce competitors on the court, they share a close friendship off it, with Alcaraz holding a 10-6 advantage in their rivalry heading into the exhibition.
They will be the favourites when the Australian Open kicks off in Melbourne on January 18, as the competitive phase begins.
At just 22 years old, Alcaraz is two years younger than Sinner and has yet to advance past the quarter-finals at this particular Grand Slam, the only major title that has eluded him.
