Carlos Alcaraz is the top-ranked player on the ATP Tour and an extremely affable individual.
And so, it should come as no surprise that everybody wants a piece of him.
Tournaments will be clamouring to secure his attendance, while even non-tennis events would be proud to welcome him into their fold.
Just his presence increases intrigue.
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However, the downside of that seems to be an increased amount of tennis, with Alcaraz having played the second-most matches in 2025 of any male player.
He has had his qualms with the tennis schedule in the past, but the frequency with which he has played exhibitions throughout the last year somewhat dampens his argument for many.
Carlos Alcaraz justifies playing so many exhibitions
Speaking ahead of his latest exhibition, where he is due to play in Miami and New Jersey alongside some other huge stars, Carlos Alcaraz was keen to justify his latest spate of exhibitions.
After all, these two are just the latest that he has taken part in through 2025, having played Frances Tiafoe in March, returned to the Six Kings Slam in October, and now this.
Justifying his decisions, he claimed: “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 then reinforced this lighthearted, low-intensity point, adding: “For me, the biggest difference is that in a tournament you have to maintain concentration, and it is demanding both physically and mentally. An exhibition is only one day. You just have to keep your focus, warm up and train a little and only for one game.
“An exhibition can be interpreted in different ways. You can do it just for fun, play good tennis, good blows and have fun. 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.”
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Given how much Alcaraz has complained about the tennis schedule, and the physical demands it places on tennis players, his comments come across as somewhat ironic and hypocritical.
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The 22-year-old’s points about the tennis schedule are extremely valid, having been echoed by many of his peers.
However, it then becomes harder to justify his point when he plays these unnecessary exhibition matches, clearly in pursuit of financial gain.
Alas, it is his career, but it just makes claims like these feel redundant: “The schedule is really tight. They have to do something with the schedule.”
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Iga Swiatek is another who routinely voices her displeasure with the tennis calendar, but is featuring in her own exhibition later in December too.
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