World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz has been quite vocal about the lengthy tennis calendar, so why does he sign up for so many exhibition matches?
The man himself says those who criticise players for off-season events “don’t understand why players are complaining” and insists there is a massive difference between a professional tournament and a one-off “fun” match.
The six-time Grand Slam winner has hit the 80-match mark for the first time in his career as he finished the 2025 season with a 71-9 win-loss record across 16 tournaments, reaching 11 finals and winning eight titles with his biggest trophies coming at the French Open and US Open.
But the 22-year-old is one of several players who have expressed their unhappiness with the long season with the likes of Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff also complaining.
However, some of them have been accused of being hypocritical as they have signed up for exhibition events with Alcaraz top of the list as he played in an in-season exhibition match against Frances Tiafoe in March and the Six Kings Slam in October and will play another three before the start of the 2026 season.
Former world No 1 Jimmy Connors recently called it the “money-making season” as he was one of those who questioned the decision to play exhibition matches.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Alcaraz defended the one-day events, saying: “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.
“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.”
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The Spaniard will face Tiafoe in New Jersey on December 7 and rising star Joao Fonseca in Miami a day later while the latter event will also involve a mixed doubles 10-point tie-breaker featuring WTA stars Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova.
And he is not done as he will also face world No 1 Jannik Sinner early in the new year in South Korea.
For Alcaraz it is all about having fun in a non-pressured environment.
“You could approach the exhibitions in different ways. You can (do it) just to have fun, playing good tennis, good shots and having fun. Or you can approach them playing really serious and (using) tactics and trying different things you will want to do later, in an event,” he said.
“So for these matches, I’m going to play well, I’m going to take it really seriously, but at the same time, I’m going to try to have as much fun as I can. To me, that’s what matters. When I’m having fun on court, I can show my best tennis.”