Men’s tennis world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz received some early practice for the 2026 Australian Open from none other than former Inter, Barcelona and Real Madrid striker Ronaldo. The football icon gifted Alcaraz a “Ronaldo No. 9” Brazil shirt after an intense practice session. Alcaraz will hunt a seventh Grand Slam in Australia next month, after being named on the entry list published on Tuesday.
Two of the sporting world’s biggest stars went head-to-head on the tennis court in Miami ahead of the 2026 Australian Open next month.
Carlos Alcaraz is best known for his intense rivalry with Jannik Sinner, but he caught the world’s attention by getting in some early practice with football legend Ronaldo.
The former Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan striker gifted the men’s tennis world No. 1 a “Ronaldo No. 9” Brazil shirt, after exchanging a few shots with the world No. 1 in a video posted on Tennis Channel.
The video was published on the same day as the entry list for the 2026 Australian Open was revealed, which confirmed Alcaraz, Sinner and Novak Djokovic will all be present for the season-opening major in Melbourne – which will be shown on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Alcaraz, who has been vocal about his love for the beautiful game, will look to clinch a seventh Grand Slam title.
The 22-year-old is hoping to complete a career Grand Slam in Melbourne next month, having won Wimbledon, the French Open, and the US Open twice each.
Alcaraz’s best performances at the Australian Open came in 2024 and 2025, when he reached the quarter-finals.
Last year, he was eliminated from the quarters by 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, during the Serbian’s short coaching partnership with Andy Murray.
Djokovic is set to continue his bid to win a record 25th major title, as he looks to pull clear of Margaret Court in the all-time best of 24 majors.
Sinner, meanwhile, is hoping to follow in Djokovic’s footsteps and win a third Australian Open in a row, a feat the 38-year-old achieved twice in his career (2019-21, 2011-13).
In the women’s draw, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has been named in the entry list, and will look to continue her dominance on Australian soil. The three-time Grand Slam winner has reached the last three finals in Melbourne, taking the title twice in that time.
She did, however, fall to defeat against Madison Keys in last year’s final. The American is also set to be in action Down Under.
There will also be eight wildcards and 16 qualifiers included in the 128-player cohort when the tournament gets underway.