Jannik Sinner overcomes Carlos Alcaraz to win the Six Kings Slam title
While it did not happen at an ATP event, Jannik Sinner finally overcame his losing streak against Carlos Alacaraz. The current World No.1 Italian turned up as the unbeaten King at the inaugural Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia. The road to the final for Sinner included a quarter-final clash against Daniil Medvedev and the semi-final win over Novak Djokovic. For Alcaraz, on the other hand, the Spaniard first brushed past Holger Rune then defeated his compatriot Rafael Nadal in the semi-final to set up the final match against Jannik Sinner. In the ultimate match, Sinner triumphed with a score of 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3 against Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday.
Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz to claim the title at Six Kings Slam
The victory not only secured Jannik Sinner the title but also a hefty prize of $6 million at the exhibition event held in Saudi Arabia. Although the match won’t officially impact the head-to-head records of the reigning Grand Slam champions, it was a significant win for the Italian, who had previously lost all three ATP encounters against Alcaraz this year, with the most recent tussle witnessed in the China Open final just weeks prior to the match in Riyadh.
“I wake up in the morning trying to understand the ways how to beat him,” Sinner said in the on-court interview following the match. "Until now, every match was very, very good, but we will always hope this rivalry will last as long as possible," he added.
Sinner almost let Alcaraz claim a fourth consecutive victory over him. After taking a 4-1 lead in the first set, he failed to maintain the momentum, allowing the Spaniard to level the second set at 3-3 after being up 3-1. However, Sinner found his rhythm, breaking Alcaraz's serve twice in the second set and managing to avoid any breakpoints in the third. The decisive moment came when Alcaraz double-faulted on break point in the eighth game of the final set, handing Sinner the break that secured his victory.
"I will try to do my best every day ... to hopefully make this rivalry better and better over the years," Alcaraz said after the conclusion of the match, as he registered similar sentiments like Sinner.
Saudi Arabia welcomed tennis last year with the introduction of its first ATP Tour event, the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah. Moreover, the ATP event was followed by exhibition matches that featured top players like Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, and Ons Jabeur. The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) also revealed in April that Riyadh would host the next three editions of the WTA Finals, which will showcase the top eight singles players and doubles teams. The upcoming WTA Finals are scheduled to take place from November 2-9. Earlier this year, Rafael Nadal was appointed as an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation, further highlighting the nation's growing involvement in the sport.
