SEOUL, South Korea – Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner entered an all-white hall wearing costumes that embody the yin and yang of their bodies. Last week, at Hyundai Card’s headquarters in Seoul, Sinner, dressed all in black, and Alcaraz, in a white top and black bottoms, were greeted with thunderous applause.
Their contrasting playing styles and on-court demeanors make the tennis rivals stand out as modern-day examples of a famous Chinese philosophy, but the two superstars, who flashed wide smiles and surprised faces in front of a crowd of reporters, photographers and nearly 100 employees in the South Korean capital, had much in common.
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Once seated, Alcaraz turned to his right, glanced at his great rival, and uttered the words, “Wow.”
great rivalry, good relationship
Four years after the first ATP Tour meeting in France, the pair have been in the spotlight and making headlines wherever they go.
It’s much different than what Alcaraz envisioned when Sinner said in November 2021 that he wanted to play more games against opponents.
“I was sure that I would play more (after the match), but probably at the beginning of the tournament, around the first or second round,” Alcaraz told Al Jazeera in Seoul.
The Spaniard believes that over the years, the pair have “encouraged each other to get better” and helped each other reach a level where meetings usually only take place at the end of major tournaments.
“It’s a gift to be able to play in the semifinals and finals of majors, the biggest tournaments in the world,” Alcaraz said.
“Looking back and looking at everything we’ve accomplished…we pushed each other to be better and give 100 percent (in the game). That game, that moment at the net, and everything we’ve been through over the years were great moments.”
Alcaraz and the “Sincaraz,” as they became known, dominated the men’s tour for two years, splitting the sport’s biggest titles and trading the No. 1 ranking with each other.
When asked what he thought of the meeting in Paris, where the conflict between the two men first began, Sinner answered humbly.
“When I said, ‘I wish I could play a few more games,’ it was like hope for me, because I was sure that[Carlos]would reach the stage where he is now. But I didn’t know if I would be able to be in the position that I am now,” the Italian said.
“But it turned out to be a great rivalry between us, and we have a good relationship, so it happened off the court as well.”
The era of “Shinkaraz”
In a sport defined by individual excellence, relationships between elite athletes have always captivated fans and helped generate interest in the sport.
Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe represented emotional extremes. Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi epitomized restraint and rebellion. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal displayed contrasting aesthetics and physicality. At the height of their rivalry, Federer and Nadal toured the world together, holding exhibitions and supporting charities throughout Europe and Africa.
In Seoul, Alcaraz and Sinner showed glimpses of a similar dynamic.
For four days, the two became almost inseparable.
After the opening press conference, Mr. Alcaraz and Mr. Sinner moved to the lobby, where employees cheered as they laughed and watched a friendly game of table tennis.
In keeping with the marketing needs of the time, Sincaraz shot playful short videos, tackling trending challenges and answering light-hearted questions. The scene where Sinner laughs as Alcaraz tries to say “Hello, I’m Carlos Alcaraz” in Korean went viral.
A relaxed mood carried over into the exhibition tennis match.
Following in the footsteps of legends such as Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, Alcaraz and Sinner played in front of a capacity crowd.
Both players took some time to find their rhythm early, with Alcaraz making several unforced errors in his first appearance since November.
But as the spectacle took over, the Spaniards began to unleash “tweener” winners.
His opponents repeatedly faced the crowd, which held Spanish and Italian flags, and responded to cries of “I love you” and “You’re handsome” with fist bumps and finger hearts.
At one point, Sinner, not very accustomed to exhibition plays, invited a boy from the front row to play point with Alcaraz while he sat among the fans cheering.
The intensity increased rapidly in the second set, especially in the tiebreak, as Alcaraz’s fast serve helped create match point.
As Sinner’s final forehand hit the net, the two men embraced, as they had done in all of their previous “Sinkaraz” matches.
“Yanik, we finished the (last) season in which we played together. We started the season playing together,” Alcaraz told his contemporaries after the game.
“So I hope this season is as good as last year and hopefully I can see you on Sunday (in the championship).”
“We’re just getting started.”
In the concourse outside the arena, the fans were evenly divided between the top two players.
“My personal favorite is Sinner, but the craze for Alcaraz seems to be growing even more domestically because of his flashy playing style,” Choi In-sik, who traveled 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Seoul to Incheon to watch the match with his girlfriend, told Al Jazeera.
“They seem to go back and forth every time they play, but I think Sinner is proving to be stronger on hard courts. So I think he’ll get a three-peat at the Australian Open later this month.”
Kim Joo-hee attended with friends from a tennis club and said that most of their conversations over the past week had been about the match.
“But compared to the big three (Federer, Nadal and Novak Djokovic), Sinner and Alcaraz are not there yet,” she said. “They’re just getting started right now.”
The event was unforgettable for Lee, who says that tennis has grown tremendously in South Korea since he first picked up a racket 15 years ago.
“It’s never easy to see the world’s top two players in their home countries, but it’s also not easy to see them at a Grand Slam, where tickets are difficult to get,” he said. “Even if you have a ticket, both players will need to reach the final to see them clash.”
Broadcasters in Spain, Italy and the United States broadcast the match live, with India and Japan also broadcasting the event in the region.
An initial report in Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed that both athletes received $2.3 million in entry fees, but a representative for tournament organizer SEMA Sports Marketing retracted the report. South Korean daily Uncut News cited industry sources as saying the amount for each player is close to $1.35 million.
Return to business in Australia
Over the past 18 months and two Grand Slam seasons, Alcaraz and Sinner have traded places as world No. 1, shared eight Grand Slam titles between them, and met in three consecutive major finals.
Alcaraz leads head-to-head 10-6, but Sinner won their most recent meeting at the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
As a result, the exhibition in Seoul was widely seen as a prelude to a possible Australian Open final. Alcaraz is aiming for his first title at this tournament to complete a career Grand Slam, while Sinner has a chance to win the title at Roland Garros in Paris later this year.
Despite the friendly exchanges in South Korea, the players were mindful of the competitive nature of their relationship.
“Today’s game will help us see if Jannik will change anything in the game,” Alcaraz jokingly said after the exhibition match. “I can’t say (that he did that today),” he added, hinting that they were careful not to reveal too much to each other.
“I can’t take anything away from today’s match. We’ll see in Australia. I’ll definitely watch his match.”
In addition to paying close attention to the “details” of the rivals’ matches, Sinner also stressed that there is little room for complacency in the superiority of both rivals.
“There are a lot of other great players at the moment, so if we drop down a little bit, they’ll take our place,” the defending Australian Open champion said. “So it’s great for (Carlos) to push himself to the limit. Hopefully, he can improve every time he plays.”
Only a handful of players have beaten either in recent years.
British number one Jack Draper defeated Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the so-called “fifth Grand Slam” Indian Wells last season, but all eyes will be on 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in Melbourne as he seeks another Australian Open title for the 11th time.
After flying to Australia together on a private jet, Alcaraz and Sinner were also spotted high-fiving during practice at Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday. The tournament begins Sunday and, like the past two years, starts on the other side of the tie. Many people are already looking forward to another Shinkaraz final.
