Alcaraz, Sinner on Collision Course in Doha – Tennis Now
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have discovered their potential routes to a blockbuster championship clash at the 2026 Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, with the ATP 500 draw unveiled on Saturday.
Top seed Alcaraz returns to action for the first time since his historic triumph at the Australian Open, where he became the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam. The 22-year-old Spaniard opens against Arthur Rinderknech and is projected to meet fourth seed Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals. Meanwhile, second seed Jannik Sinner makes his Doha debut looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking five-set semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic in Melbourne.
Sinner begins against World No. 31 Tomas Machac; while the Italian leads their head-to-head 2-0, it is his perfect 4-0 record in sets against the Czech that highlights his dominance in the matchup. Third seed Alexander Bublik looms as Sinner’s potential semifinal opponent.
Should the draw hold, a championship match between the “New Two” would mark their 18th professional meeting and their ninth time facing off for a trophy. Alcaraz currently leads the rivalry 11–6, bolstered by a prolific 2025 season where the pair met in six finals. Those championship battles occurred at Rome, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, Cincinnati, the US Open, and finally the ATP Finals in Turin.
| Category | Carlos Alcaraz | Jannik Sinner |
| Overall H2H | 11 | 6 |
| Finals H2H | 5 | 3 |
| Hard Court Wins | 6 | 4 |
| Grand Slam Wins | 4 | 2 |
Aside from the top two seeds, three former Doha champions are in the draw looking to reclaim their title: defending champion Andrey Rublev (2020, 2025), Daniil Medvedev (2023), and Karen Khachanov (2024).
Past Doha Champions
| Year | Champion |
| 2025 | Andrey Rublev |
| 2024 | Karen Khachanov |
| 2023 | Daniil Medvedev |
| 2022 | Roberto Bautista Agut |
| 2021 | Nikoloz Basilashvili |
| 2020 | Andrey Rublev |
| 2019 | Roberto Bautista Agut |
| 2018 | Gael Monfils |
| 2017 | Novak Djokovic |
| 2016 | Novak Djokovic |
| 2015 | David Ferrer |
| 2014 | Rafael Nadal |
| 2013 | Richard Gasquet |
| 2012 | Jo-Wilfried Tsonga |
| 2011 | Roger Federer |
| 2010 | Nikolay Davydenko |
| 2009 | Andy Murray |
| 2008 | Andy Murray |
| 2007 | Ivan Ljubicic |
| 2006 | Roger Federer |
| 2005 | Roger Federer |
| 2004 | Nicolas Escude |
| 2003 | Stefan Koubek |
| 2002 | Younes El Aynaoui |
| 2001 | Marcelo Rios |
| 2000 | Fabrice Santoro |
| 1999 | Rainer Schuettler |
| 1998 | Petr Korda |
| 1997 | Jim Courier |
| 1996 | Petr Korda |
| 1995 | Stefan Edberg |
| 1994 | Stefan Edberg |
| 1993 | Boris Becker |
