The two exceptional players Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are fighting in a direct duel for the million-dollar jackpot at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia.
Alcaraz moved into the final of the invitation tournament with an easy 6:4, 6:2 against Taylor Fritz (USA). Sinner also followed with a 6:4, 6:2 over the Serbian Grand Slam record champion Novak Djokovic.
In addition to the rumored $1.5 million entry fee, Alcaraz (22) and Sinner (24) can win $4.5 million if they win again, which is more prize money than their Grand Slam successes this year. The Spaniard Alcaraz had triumphed in Paris and New York, the Italian Sinner in Melbourne and Wimbledon.
Last year, at the premiere of the show event, Sinner won the final against Alcaraz in three sets. There are no world ranking points to be won in Riyadh, but thanks to the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, the winner will have more prize money than at any other tournament on the professional tour. Boris Becker said in his podcast: “There’s a lot of money, but no points and no respect from the tennis scene.”
Alexander Zverev was eliminated against Fritz on Wednesday (3:6, 4:6). After recent disappointing results, the world number three from Hamburg is hoping for a positive end to the season at the ATP tournaments in Vienna and Paris as well as the final tournament of the best eight professionals of the year in Turin. But he’s also “already keeping an eye on next year; for me it’s now about getting healthy again,” said Zverev, who had often played injured recently.