Carlos Alcaraz couldn’t have asked for a tougher return from injury.
The world’s top-ranked tennis player lost to Frances Tiafoe in an exhibition match on Sunday, marking his first time back on court since a hamstring injury sidelined him.
Alcaraz had skipped the Davis Cup after reaching the ATP Finals in November. He was dealing with that nagging hamstring problem and decided to rest up.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Alcaraz | 22 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
But he chose the exhibition event "A Racquet at The Rock" in Newark to make his unofficial comeback.
It didn’t go exactly as planned.
Tiafoe took the first set 6-3, but Alcaraz bounced back to win the second 6-3. That set up a dramatic 10-point tiebreak for the packed Newark crowd.
The Spaniard actually led 6-5 in that final tiebreak. Then things fell apart pretty quickly.
Tiafoe won the next five of seven points to close it out 10-7.
Since it was just an exhibition, this won’t count in their official head-to-head record. But it’s still a big deal for Tiafoe – he hasn’t beaten Alcaraz since way back in 2021 when they played in Barcelona.
The event featured some serious star power beyond just the men.
Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova also squared off in what turned into another nail-biter. Pegula dropped the first set but came roaring back to beat the Wimbledon finalist 3-6, 7-6 (5), 10-8.
After the singles matches wrapped up, it was time for doubles. Alcaraz teamed up with Pegula while Tiafoe joined forces with Anisimova.
The Alcaraz-Pegula duo managed to win that one in a super tiebreak, 10-8.
That Australian Open Problem
Here’s something that might surprise casual tennis fans: Alcaraz has won every Grand Slam tournament except the Australian Open.
Even more surprising? He’s never even made it past the quarterfinals in Melbourne.
His track record Down Under is pretty rough. He lost in the second round during his first appearance there in 2021. The following year, he made it to the third round before getting knocked out.
He missed the whole tournament in 2023.
The last two years have been particularly frustrating. Both times, Alcaraz made it to the quarterfinals only to lose there.
He’s got his sights set on changing that narrative in 2025 and finally completing what’s called the Career Grand Slam – winning all four major tournaments at least once.
"In 2025 I’d rather win Australia alone than win two repeated Grand Slams. I’m far from being the best player in tennis or overall, because there are still many players who can beat me and I’ve lost to many players. I’m not the best, despite the ranking showing that I am."
– Carlos Alcaraz (via Reuters)
His biggest obstacle will probably be Jannik Sinner, who’s been pretty much unstoppable in Australia lately. Sinner hasn’t lost a match there since 2023.
There’s a pattern that keeps hurting Alcaraz’s chances, though.
He traditionally shows up to the Australian Open without much match practice. The tournament happens in January, and most players struggle to find their rhythm after the off-season.
That lack of court time has really cost him in the business end of the tournament. He lost to Alexander Zverev in the 2024 quarterfinals, then fell to Novak Djokovic in the same round this past year.
Whether Sunday’s exhibition loss will affect his confidence remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure – Alcaraz has plenty of motivation heading into the new season.
