Fish, Friends, and a Title Defense: Alcaraz’s Unforgettable Week in Doha
The world No. 1 traded Grand Slam glory for a day on the water with Sinner, Medvedev, and Rublev—before picking up where he left off in Melbourne
Published: February 17, 2026 | 3 min read
DOHA — Carlos Alcaraz is back on the court. But before he got down to business, he decided to go fishing.
The world No. 1, fresh off becoming the youngest man to complete a Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, has returned to ATP Tour action at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. His first match Tuesday ended with a 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory over Arthur Rinderknech. But the real story happened the day before.
Alcaraz traded the baseline for the open water, joining three of his fiercest rivals—Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and Andrey Rublev—for a traditional Qatari fishing trip.
The catch? They wore matching outfits. White t-shirts. Plaid-patterned pants. Four of the best players on the planet, looking like they stepped out of a resort catalog.
The tournament shared video of the outing, and Rublev stole the show with his unfiltered reactions. But all four players succeeded in reeling in their catch of the day.
For a moment, they weren’t competitors. They were just four guys fishing.
A day earlier, Sinner had opened his campaign with a clinical 6-1, 6-4 dismissal of Tomas Machac. Alcaraz followed Tuesday with a harder-fought win.
The Spaniard saved both break points he faced and erased a pair of set points at 5-6 in the second set before closing out Rinderknech in a tiebreak.
| Stat | Alcaraz |
|---|---|
| Aces | 7 |
| Break points saved | 2/2 |
| Set points saved | 2 |
| Career hard-court wins | 150 |
Rinderknech, now 0-5 against Alcaraz, had a sense of humor about it afterward.
“One time you let me win?” the Frenchman joked.
Alcaraz laughed, but his assessment was serious.
“Arthur is a really dangerous player. Nobody wants to play against him in the first round.”
What’s Next
Alcaraz withdrew from last week’s ATP 500 in Rotterdam to rest after his Melbourne heroics. The time off seems to have served him well.
Next up: another Frenchman. Alcaraz will face Valentin Royer for a place in the quarterfinals.
But win or lose, he’ll always have the memory of that day on the water—matching plaid pants, unscripted laughter, and four rivals who, for a few hours, were just friends with fishing poles.