(Video) Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Give Priceless Reaction to a Kid’s Forehand Winner in their Exhibition Match in Seoul

Carlos Alcaraz defeats Jannik Sinner in straight sets in their exhibition match in Seoul, South Korea.

(Video) Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Give Priceless Reaction to a Kid’s Forehand Winner in their Exhibition Match in Seoul

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz had a priceless reaction (via X/Sinner fan/The Tennis Letter)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner turned their fierce exhibition match into an entertaining tie when they called upon a Korean boy from the stands to compete with them. The two rivals battled point for point in Incheon, Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday (January 10), just eight days before the Australian Open.

Just a day after Alcaraz and Sinner teased about a possible doubles partnership, the two tennis stars were all business as they headed to the hard indoor court for their career’s third exhibition match together and first showdown of 2026. The two opted to play the exhibition match rather than a tour-level event ahead of the first Grand Slam of the season.

The two tennis aces began the match as usual, exchanging points for points, but in the seventh game began to relax the tempo. It began with both players hitting and returning shots on the left side of the court, until Alcaraz produced a tricky forehand slice that beat the Italian star. In the middle of the first set, they decided to call a Korean boy from the stands, which is typical at these events.

The boy hurried onto the court, took Sinner’s position, and then served against Alcaraz. However, he stunned Alcaraz, Sinner, and the crowd by winning points against the Spaniard, showcasing his great tennis skills, leaving his audience speechless before leaving the court.

Sinner resumed the match, with Alcaraz one game ahead until he managed to break away from the Italian star to take the set 7-5. The second set went the same way, the players were within a point of each other to end up in a tie-break. The first point of the tie break went to Alcaraz, but Sinner rallied back and put the pressure on as the match went on.

The two continued to battle it out, culminating in long rallys at some point before Alcaraz hit a backhand shot that forced Sinner to hit the ball into the net and Alcaraz celebrating the win, which was in contrast to the last time when the two met at the ATP Finals in Riyadh in November.

Nonetheless, the exhibition match result won’t matter in Alcaraz and Sinner’s head-to-head record. Currently, the former leads 10-6 in their meetings on the court. But this will be a big boost for Alcaraz, who will be under pressure in Melbourne following his split with Juan Carlos Ferrero. The World No. 1 has never won a Grand Slam without the guidance of his former coach and will now have to do so without him.

Carlos Alcaraz happy to kick off his 2026 season against Jannik Sinner in Seoul

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner looked to have continued with the momentum of their rivalry following their exhibition clash in Seoul. There were key moments in the match when both players showed glimpses of their best shots and serves. They will take the lessons of the match into the 2026 Australian Open in Melbourne.

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (4)
Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)

After the match, Alcaraz noted that he’s happy to end the 2025 season by playing his arch-rival Sinner and to start the new year by playing the Italian star. He then wished the World No.2 the best 2026 season and hopes they will meet at the Australian Open in the coming days:

Jannik, we finished the season playing together, we started the season playing together, so hopefully this season is gonna be such a good one like last year…you deserve the best just all the best to you, to your team and like our team says, hopefully see you on Sundays.

Alcaraz will hope to win the Australian Open for the first time in his career, making him the youngest player to complete a Career Grand Slam in the Open Era. He has never gone past the quarter-finals of the tournament. Meanwhile, Sinner is the defending champion and will be looking forward to winning it for the third time in his career.

Also Read: Elena Rybakina Backs Aryna Sabalenka’s Schedule Criticism After Shocking Brisbane Exit