Before starting his pre-season, in which he will work hard with all the members of his team, Carlos Alcaraz will be the protagonist of a couple of exhibition matches in the United States. Notably, the current world No.1 will face local idol Frances Tiafoe in New Jersey on December 7 and young Brazilian star Joao Fonseca in Miami the following day.
The Spanish champion loves to have fun on the tennis court and is undoubtedly one of the players who participates in the most exhibitions, which is why he has often been criticized by experts and insiders. At the same time in fact the 22-year-old from Murcia often complains about the excessive length of the ATP calendar and does not miss an opportunity to highlight the need for change.
The six-time Grand Slam champion ended another amazing season, in which he played 80 official matches suffering only 9 losses in total. Carlitos has won eight titles, embellishing his 2025 with triumphs at Roland Garros (the second in a row, obtained at the end of a truly epic final against Jannik Sinner) and at the US Open (a success that allowed him to return to the top of the ATP rankings).
ADVERTISEMENT
Alcaraz will play two exhibitions in the USA
On the latest edition of the 'Nothing Major' podcast, former American star Steve Johnson defended Alcaraz's choice to play some exhibitions during the season: "From the point of view of physical and mental effort, the difference between an official tournament and an exhibition is gigantic. It is unlikely that a player will suffer an injury during an exhibition match, which is why the criticism of Carlos is quite unfair."
The former world number 21 also added: "It's true that he gets a lot of money to play these kinds of matches, but the exhibitions help our sport become more popular in the world. Performances often allow tennis to be brought to places on the planet where people are not used to seeing it live."
ADVERTISEMENT
Carlitos will also be the protagonist of an exhibition match with Sinner scheduled in Seoul on January 10, 2026.
