Carlos Alcaraz Defends His Exhibition Matches Against Critics

The Associated Press asked Alcaraz about the perceived conflict, and Alcaraz shot down the idea in his patented friendly manner.

"First of all, it's normal that people think that way, and they don't understand why we're complaining about the calendar and then we set up the exhibition matches," Alcaraz explained.

"But for me, the main difference is that, at a tournament, you've got to keep your focus, and it's really physically and mentally demanding for one week and a half. And an exhibition is just one day. You just stay focused, just warm up, just practice not that much — for one match."

Alcaraz will play in two upcoming U.S. exhibitions this month (A Racquet at The Rock and the Miami Invitational). Then, he will kick off the new year with another exhibition match against Jannik Sinner in Seoul, South Korea.

After his exhibition matches, Alcaraz will have a training block to prepare for the start of the 2026 ATP season. Last year, the Spanish superstar got off to a slow start before eventually catching fire during clay court season and maintaining that momentum for the rest of the campaign.

Alcaraz finished the 2025 season as the ATP World No. 1 with a record of 71-9 and eight singles titles (including two Majors).