Have fun and earn money
Carlos Alcara once confessed that the ATP Tour's grueling schedule left him "suffocated" – something he said would soon wear down both the physical and mental health of the world's best players .
In contrast, the week at the Six Kings Slam 2025 felt like a rare breather for both his mind and body , as well as his opponents .
The exhibition tournament , held for the second consecutive year in Riyadh, aims to boost the image of Saudi Arabia – which also hosts F1 races, international boxing matches, hosts LIV Golf, has a football tournament featuring Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, and hosts the Spanish Super Cup and Italian Super Cup .
“This is a different format than what we are used to,” Alcaraz said before taking the court for his semi-final match against Taylor Fritz (6-4, 6-2).
“I understand the criticism, but sometimes people don't see it from our perspective ,” the world number 1 defended against the controversial opinions that he and his colleagues play for money .
“ In official tournaments, we have to play continuously for 15 or 16 days, with extremely high physical and mental intensity. Here, we just play for fun for 1 or 2 days and then rest. That's it.”
High-value fun: Alcaraz , as well as Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Fritz and Stefanos Tsitsipas received $1.5 million just to attend the event in Riyadh .
This amount is even higher than the prize for the champion of 9 official Masters 1000 tournaments.
The financial disparity is so great that a tournament lasting just four days like the Six Kings Slam can award $6 million to the champion, more than the US Open ($5 million), Wimbledon ($3.8 million), Roland Garros ($2.8 million), Australian Open ($2.3 million) – and more than any tournament in tennis history.
“I think the Six Kings Slam is good for us and for the sport ,” Alcaraz told Saudi Arabian television.
Sinner Dominates
The tournament is not part of the ATP system, meaning there are no ranking points in the race for the world No. 1 position that he and Sinner are competing for.
Both players have dominated the last eight Grand Slams of men's tennis, meaning they have won all the major titles since the beginning of last year. They stepped onto the ANB Arena in Riyadh on Saturday (morning of October 19, Hanoi time).
As the Netflix live signal was beamed across the globe, the red-haired Italian began dominating the match with his unstoppable forehand.
Alcaraz, still "worried" about the left ankle injury he suffered on September 25 at the ATP 500 Tokyo (match against Argentine player Sebasti a n B a ez), could not create any comeback.
There was no drama, no roars, no fist-pumping – just two extraordinary players, the best of their generation, patiently lingering over each rally under the lights, until they stepped to the net to shake hands.
They laughed, hugged and joked after the 6-2, 6-4 victory for Sinner – who successfully defended the Six Kings Slam, pocketing a huge prize of 6 million USD .
“When Jannik plays at this level, it's always very difficult,” Carlitos admitted with a smile.
In the stands, everyone in the audience seemed satisfied. Among them were officials in charge of Riyadh Season – a huge entertainment campaign to promote Saudi Arabia's sporting events.
Along with the success of the Six Kings Slam in particular and the Riyadh Season in general, the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation previously signed an image ambassador contract with Rafael Nadal ( and Paula Badosa ).
From the legendary Roger Federer's Laver Cup to the Six Kings Slam, the world of tennis is constantly changing: more performance, less fitness, and ever-increasing accounts.
After the “fun”, fans wait for Alcaraz and Sinner to enter the last two big battles of the season, Paris Masters and ATP Finals.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/sinner-ha-alcaraz-o-six-kings-slam-vua-kiem-tien-toc-do-2454193.html
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