"You can do it just for fun, play good tennis, good blows and have fun" - Alcaraz highlights reasons why he competes in exhibition events despite schedule criticisms

Carlos Alcaraz has defended his decision to compete in a number of exhibitions in the USA amid complaints about more events cropping up in a very jam-packed schedule.

There is no surprise that these events would want to try and pick up Alcaraz. The world number one is a very popular character on the court, adding to the immense quality he possesses. He has showed this numerous times in the 2025 campaign as he won an incredible eight titles. This included two Grand Slam triumphs and three Masters 1000 victories.

With the 2026 season around a month from commencing, Alcaraz is starting to get his preparation for another competitive year as he is once again set to reignite his showstopping rivalry with Jannik Sinner. The duo will mett up in South Korea at the start of the year in an exhibition event. Despite there being a number of ATP events that they could compete in, they have chosen an exhibition as their preparation towards the first Grand Slam of the year - Australian Open.

Ahead of this, the six-time Grand Slam champion will compete in two events in two days. On 7th December, he will feature in A Racquet At The Rock, played at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, where he will take on Frances Tiafoe. Just 24 hours later, the 22-year-old will traverse to Florida for the Miami Invitational on 8th December. It will be a highly anticipated first meeting on court between Alcaraz and young star Joao Fonseca at the loanDepot Park. Alcaraz has had previous success in Miami, having won his first Masters 1000 title there back in 2022.

“First of all, it’s normal for people to think this way and not understand why we complain about the schedule when we then schedule Exhibitions,” Alcaraz stated in a press conference for the upcoming tournaments in the States.

He would go on to defend his decision for competing in these competitions and why they differ from ATP Tour events. “For me, the biggest difference is that in a tournament you have to maintain concentration, and it is demanding both physically and mentally," the Spaniard said. "An exhibition is only one day. You just have to keep your focus, warm up and train a little and only for one game."

Alcaraz also admitted that it was a chance to have some fun, albeit he was going to take it seriously and try to come out on top. “An exhibition can be interpreted in different ways. You can do it just for fun, play good tennis, good blows and have fun," he acknowledged. "Or you can take it very seriously and use tactics and patterns to replicate them in tournaments. I will try to take these games seriously, but at the same time have as much fun as possible.”

Adding to that, exhibitions have a lucrative bonus involved, making many players inclusions more straightforward. While each tournament can offer a lot of prize money, competitors enter these events with a guaranteed pay check incoming no matter what the result is. A prime example is the Six Kings Slam, where each player earned $1.5 million. The champion, Sinner, earned a cool $6 million for his work in Saudi Arabia. 

Along with that, Alcaraz has also competed in the Laver Cup for Team Europe, a favourable event for the Spaniard and something that he has already signed up for next year as he looks to help Team Europe get their crown back.