Carlos Alcaraz has often come under pressure for playing so many exhibition matches while continuing to complain about the length of the ATP Tour season.

So far this season, Alcaraz has played exhibition events in South Korea, as well as at the Laver Cup, and he is set to play the delayed Six Kings Slam in December.

That has not stopped Alcaraz from criticising the ATP Tour schedule since his comeback from a wrist injury, however, and he has been increasingly more outspoken during the Asian swing.

“One of the reasons we had to see the players who are getting injured, they [ATP officials] are pushing us too much out of the line sometimes to play a lot of tournaments, to play a lot of matches,” said Alcaraz at the Shanghai Masters.

“It’s getting in the wrong direction,” he said about the schedule when discussing Jannik Sinner’s decision to end his 2026 season early. “I just wish Jannik the best for these months, just to be in good shape for the next season.”

Despite his complaints about the stacked schedule, Alcaraz has been confirmed to play another exhibition match in December.

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Joao Fonseca has confirmed that he and Alcaraz will play another exhibition match following their clash in Miami in December 2025, which this time will take place on home soil for the Brazilian.

On Instagram, Fonseca said: “On December 12th, I’ll be taking the court in São Paulo to face none other than Carlos Alcaraz. It’s going to be awesome! I can’t wait to see you all there. Thanks, and see you in December!”

Fonseca and Alcaraz played an exhibition in Miami at LoanDepot Park, which was won by the Spaniard.

While Alcaraz could come under more scrutiny for his decision to play yet another exhibition, he will argue that it requires less of your body, both physically and mentally.

Speaking in 2025, Alcaraz said: “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.”

Alcaraz’s appearances in Brazil and Saudi Arabia will mean his off-season is significantly cut short, particularly if he plays any Australian Open warm-up events in January.