Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Set for January 2026 Exhibition Match

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will play an exhibition match in Seoul, South Korea.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will kick off 2026 with an exhibition match. | IMAGO / Independent Photo Agency Int.

The top two players in the ATP have seen a lot of each other in recent months. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner even joke that they see each other more than their own families.

Alcaraz and Sinner just finished competing in the Six Kings Slam final last week, but have already committed to another exhibition match before the start of the 2026 ATP season.

Details have emerged after Alcaraz and Sinner teased the announcement on their Instagram stories with the message, "See you in Korea."

Carlos Alcaraz 🇪🇸 and Jannik Sinner 🇮🇹 will play an exhibition match in Seoul 🇰🇷 before the 2026 #AusOpen.

📍 January 10 - Incheon Inspire Arena 🏟️

🇰🇷🇪🇸🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/9TXFfOPSlh

— Daily Alcaraz (@alcarazdaily) October 22, 2025

According to the Chosun Daily newspaper, Alcaraz and Sinner will compete in the Hyundai Card Super Match. The match will take place on January 10, and it will be held at the Incheon Inspire Arena in Seoul.

Tournament organizers have not made the official announcement yet. According to reports, they said they "will soon confirm and announce the date, venue, ticket sales schedule, and other details."

Previous installments on the Hyundai Super Match have featured top men's and women's players like Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Roddick.

"We have a special relationship, friendship off the court, which is great, not only the rivalry on the court."

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner talking about their friendship 🥺❤️ pic.twitter.com/ixk4Q0yZLG

— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) October 18, 2025

While this is an exciting announcement, it has caused consternation among many fans. Currently, there is a growing consensus in the sport that the schedule is too long. In fact, Alcaraz just missed the Shanghai Masters, and Sinner has pulled out of the Davis Cup (resulting in ridicule from Italian media outlets).

Compounding the issue, the January 10 exhibition takes place just over one week before the start of the Australian Open. It is unlikely that Alcaraz and Sinner will be able to compete in a warm-up tournament in early January between the Hyundai Super Match and the Australian Open.

Before we look ahead to the 2026 season, there is plenty of action remaining in the final stretch of the 2025 season. Alcaraz is currently the ATP World No. 1 with a record of 67-7 and eight singles titles. Meanwhile, Sinner is No. 2 with a record of 43-6 with three singles titles.

JANNIK SINNER DEFEATS CARLOS ALCARAZ IN STRAIGHT SETS #AlcarazSinner pic.twitter.com/sLJAceaoHf

— Netflix (@netflix) October 18, 2025

Sinner is unlikely to catch Alcaraz as the year-end No. 1. However, the ATP Finals in Turin could serve as a very nice consolation prize for the Italian superstar who missed three months of the season earlier this year.

Currently, Sinner is competing in the Erste Bank Open (ATP 250 Vienna), and Alcaraz will return to action from an ankle injury at the Rolex Paris Masters next week.

Fans can expect an exciting final month of the season. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.