"That was a bit of a red flag for me" - Carlos Alcaraz's decision to play exhibition matches is cause for concern, says Grand Slam legend

Although several tennis players opted to take a break from the sport during the short off-season, Carlos Alcaraz raised some eyebrows by his decision to participate in multiple exhibition matches in the United States. This decision may end up costing the Spaniard, according to former Grand Slam champion Mark Woodforde.

Alcaraz competed in two exhibition events during the same week in December; one in Madison Square Garden where he faced American Ben Shelton, and the other in Charlotte, North Carolina against Frances Tiafoe. This caused some controversy in the tennis community, considering the Spaniard had openly spoken out against the length of the tennis schedule.

Read also

This is how much you can earn in Prize Money at ATP 2025 Brisbane International

Playing the exhibition matches may lead to regret, says Woodforde

The 17-time doubles Grand Slam champion pondered on Alcaraz's decision to play exhibition matches so close to the start of the new season, and speculated on the toll it took on his conditioning.

“My only concern during the off-season was Alcaraz’s decision to fly to America to play some exhibition matches," said Woodforde in an interview with Tennis365. "That was a bit of a red flag for me. After playing in those matches, it will be interesting to see how he kicks off the season after that decision.
“To travel to the US and play some matches when he could have been resting and preparing, I was not a big fan of the exhibitions he played.”

Read also

This is how much you can earn in Prize Money at Women's ASB Classic 2025

Alcaraz is not playing any tournaments in the opening week of the new season and went into the Australian Open last year without playing a warm-up event. The Wimbledon champion is expected to be part of fan week that takes place a few days prior to the start of the Australian Open and is being promoted to take part in an exhibition match against Australia’s Alex de Minaur on January 8.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate tennis experience—subscribe today for exclusive access to top stories.

Subscribe