Carlos Alcaraz has won the first duel with Sinner of 2026 at the Hyundai Card Super Match, an exhibition match in Incheon, South Korea. 7-5, 7-6 (6) in 1 hour 48 minutes. Fans enjoyed a thrilling tennis match with great points, even if nothing was at stake and both players received the same amount of money, around two million euros.
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Alcaraz adds another win to their "unofficial" head to head. In 2025, the Spaniard and the Italian played six official ATP matches, with Alcaraz winning four times, including the US Open and Roland Garros finals and the Masters 1000 finals in Rome and Cincinnati. Sinner won the Wimbledon final and the ATP Finals, as well as another exhibition match in the Six Kings Slam.
Counting only the official ATP matches, Alcaraz leads 10-6; this victory doesn't change it, but it's a good sign that Alcaraz remains focused and competitive after the break up with his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero last month.
Further reading: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner would like to play as a doubles pair at least once: "Maybe this year, it's gonna be a surprise"
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are not expected to play any official tournament until Australian Open, starting on January 18 and ending on February 1. They have already travelled to Melbourne, where they will start training on Sunday. As they will be the top two seeds, Alcaraz and Sinner would not play again until a potential final.