Roger Federer and Carlos Alcaraz were seen together at the 2024 Shanghai Masters final – watching Jannik Sinner clinch the title by beating Novak Djokovic
Roger Federer and Carlos Alcaraz turned heads when they were seen together during last year’s Shanghai Masters final. Although the two tennis icons never rubbed shoulders professionally, they appeared friendly as they watched Jannik Sinner defeat Novak Djokovic in straight sets, 7-6, 6-3, to secure the championship.
Many fans were surprised to spot Alcaraz at the event, considering he had already been eliminated in the quarter-finals. One reason he remained in Shanghai was his upcoming journey to Saudi Arabia for the Six Kings Slam – a high-profile exhibition also featuring Djokovic and Sinner.
Another link between Federer and Alcaraz is their shared partnership with the luxury watchmaker Rolex, the title sponsor of the Shanghai Masters, for whom both stars serve as ambassadors.
Last year, Federer mentioned that he owed Alcaraz an apology for declining a chance to train longer with him when the young Spaniard was still a teenager. The two had previously knocked up together at Wimbledon – Federer in his prime, and Alcaraz then a promising junior player.
Federer was again invited to practice with Alcaraz the following day but turned it down. Instead, he chose to warm up with Alcaraz’s coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero. As he remembered saying: “No, it’s okay, I’d rather warm up with his coach.”
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Federer captured the Shanghai Masters crown in 2017 after defeating Rafael Nadal in the final. He had also reached the title match in 2010 but was beaten by Andy Murray.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, has yet to win the Shanghai trophy. He withdrew from the 2025 tournament due to an ankle injury, exited in the quarter-finals against Tomas Machac in 2024, and was knocked out in the fourth round by Grigor Dimitrov in 2023.
The Spanish star injured his ankle during the opening round of the Japan Open last month but defied his team’s suggestion to retire from the event. In typical fashion, he fought through the pain, eventually overcoming Taylor Fritz in the final to claim his eighth ATP title of the season.
Nevertheless, the injury was serious enough to force him out of the Shanghai Open – a move that could have major financial repercussions. In a heartfelt statement shared on Instagram, he wrote: “I’m very disappointed to announce that I won’t be able to play the Rolex Shanghai Masters this year!
“Unfortunately, I’ve been struggling with some physical issues and, after discussing with my team, we believe the best decision is to rest and recover. I was really looking forward to playing in front of the amazing fans in Shanghai again. I hope to be back soon and see my Chinese fans next year!”
This marks the third Masters 1000 event Alcaraz has been unable to compete in during 2025. The 22-year-old had already missed both the Madrid Open and the Canadian Open, absences that have come at a significant cost.
The ATP awards financial bonuses for performance across Masters 1000 events, the ATP Finals, and ATP 500 tournaments. With three victories at the 500 level this season, Alcaraz is poised to lead the ATP 500 bonus pool.
However, skipping three Masters 1000 events could reduce his overall bonus by as much as 75 percent under current ATP rules. That penalty, however, can be reduced if a player participates in official promotional activities at the events they miss.
It remains uncertain whether Alcaraz engaged in such activities for the tournaments he withdrew from. If not, he risks losing the full 75 percent of his bonus.
Having already captured titles at the Monte-Carlo Masters, Italian Open, and Cincinnati Open, Alcaraz still tops the bonus pool rankings. The leading player could earn as much as £3.3million – but only if they compete in enough qualifying events.