Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were paid a huge amount of money to face off in a pre-season exhibition match in South Korea on Saturday, but this was never going to be a contest that had the intensity of their iconic battles over the last couple of years.
The top two players in men’s tennis have dominated the game since the start of 2024, with Alcaraz and Sinner winning all eight of the Grand Slam titles that have been up for grabs over the last couple of seasons.
The duo confirmed their dominance by contesting the last three Grand Slam finals against each other, so there was some surprise when the pair agreed to play a pre-season match in front of a big crowd a few days before the start of their 2026 season.
Their clash in South Korea was all about the finances and according to Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport, world No 1 Alcaraz and world No 2 Sinner earned roughly €2 million (about $2.3m and £1.7m) each for competing at the exhibition event at the Inspire Arena.
That kind of money was too much to turn down for one day of promotion and a match that very quickly fell into the exhibition category, with both keen to avoid a clash that would have any significance with the Australian Open just a few days away.
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Alcaraz and Sinner enjoy a strong relationship despite their rivalry on the court and the pair were quick to turn their match into a fun occasion as they tried a variety of trick shots to keep the fans entertained.
Long slice exchanges and attempts to find quirky angles were part of a first set story that had as many laughs as it had intense shots, with the smiles on the faces of Alcaraz, Sinner and the crowd summing up the relaxed mood.
So while Alcaraz recorded a 7-5, 7-6 win, Sinner admitted the result did not carry too much significance, with a fan from crowd coming onto court and playing with Sinner’s racket at one point.
“It was an entertaining match, that’s why we came here. Obviously the main goal is in Australia,” said Sinner.
“Exhibition matches are different. You are a bit more relaxed and also entertaining the crowd a little bit more with different shots and different actions on court.”
Alcaraz also gave his verdict on an occasion that swelled the bank balance of the top two and did little to impact their pre-Australian Open preparations as he said: “We all need the support from the fans, so feeling the love from the people was necessary for me to perform my best and play great tennis like I did today.”
Alcaraz and Sinner and now in Melbourne ahead of the opening Grand Slam of 2026 and they will take part in some of the tournament’s Fan Week events.
The Aussie fans will be cheering on Alex de Minaur next Thursday when he takes on Alcaraz on the Rod Laver Arena where the Australian Open final will be played.
Defending Australian Open champion Sinner will then take on Felix Auger-Aliassime on the same stage on Friday.
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