Alcaraz Edges Sinner in Straight Sets at South Korea Exhibition

Alcaraz Outlasts Sinner in Tight Exhibition Clash, Setting Stage for Australian Open Showdown

© AFP

Adrien Guyot

le 10/01/2026 à 09h26

1 min to read

Alcaraz Carlos Sinner Jannik

A new year and already a first clash between Alcaraz and Sinner. The two best players in the world, who will kick off their ATP season at the Australian Open, met in Seoul, the South Korean capital, for an exhibition match.

It was an opportunity for Asian fans to see the Spaniard and the Italian in action, who dominated the tour head and shoulders in 2025 and have not entered any preparation tournaments before heading to Australia.

Alcaraz Overcomes Sinner in Seoul

This match was tight, but the world number 1 knew how to close out both sets to win (7-5, 7-6). After sharing the court six times on the biggest tennis stages last year, Sinner and Alcaraz enjoyed a final moment of relaxation in their preparation before the serious business begins.

Now, both players are focused on the Australian Open. As the two-time defending champion in Melbourne, Sinner hopes to achieve the triple, while Alcaraz has never advanced past the quarterfinals in the first Grand Slam of the season.

If he triumphs by early February, the young Spanish player will complete his collection and have won all the Majors. The stakes will therefore be high for him in the coming weeks, and this victory allows him to maintain the momentum gained last year.