Exhibition tennis was everywhere at the end of the 2025 season, with Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka among those taking part in such events.
Alcaraz played several exhibitions in 2025, despite the ATP number one having often criticized the tennis calendar.
Meanwhile, WTA number one Aryna Sabalenka played against Nick Kyrgios in an exclusive Battle of the Sexes match last month, which itself came under plenty of criticism.
Tennis legend Roger Federer once gave his thoughts on such events, having been tasked by the media with discussing exhibitions ahead of the 2008 Australian Open.
Roger Federer said it was important to play in ‘places which don’t see much tennis’
It was put to Federer: “You’re going to be playing Pete [Sampras] again in March in Madison Square Garden. First of all, how regularly do you think these exhibitions are going to go on? Secondly, is it strange to have become friendly with a guy whose record you’re chasing?”
He replied: “No, not really. For me it was a great excitement to spend a week with Pete throughout the Asian swing.
“You know, we went to places which don’t see much tennis. And I think that’s something always that’s important to me.
“In the off-season, if I play at exhibitions, I play at areas where there are hardly any other tournaments. For me it was a dream come true to get a chance to play at the Garden.
“It’s somewhere I never played at. It’s been a long time since men played there as well. And Pete really wanted to have an exhibition in the States, as well.
“So I said, ‘Sure, where should we do it?’ Sort of Madison Square Garden came about. Honestly, it was just nice to hang out with him, see what type of a person he is.
“We’ve become friends. It was very nice that we have obviously the record going on. I don’t think it matters too much to us.
“It’s just more about having respect and liking each other during that trip. It’s the last exhibition we got planned, and after that we’ll see where it takes us.”
Federer was behind Sampras’s record of 14 Grand Slam titles at the time, but did, of course, manage to surpass the American with his 20 titles.
The dilemma players have with exhibition events
Exhibition events are a common theme of the tennis calendar, and clearly have been for some time given the appearances of the likes of Sampras and Agassi.
They met in a highly-anticipated match in New York back in 2008, with the Swiss star beating the American icon 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(6).
Almost 20,000 fans packed into Madison Square Garden in New York to watch the match between two of the game’s biggest superstars at the time.
There is clearly an audience for exhibitions, while players often need to take to the court to fulfil commitments such as brand growth and fan engagement, with plenty of money also usually on offer.
WTA and ATP stars can also use the matches to stay sharp and even prepare for the new season, just in a less intense manner, while it is also admirable that they travel to venues that do not see a lot of tennis.
But it certainly isn’t a good look for those complaining about busy schedules, with the packed calendar set to cause plenty of controversy in 2026 once more.
Federer incidentally will play another exhibition match very shortly, appearing at the 2026 Australian Open with Andre Agassi, Patrick Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt.
READ MORE: Four ATP players with a big point to prove in the 2026 season
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