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Browsing: Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner claimed a commanding victory over rival Carlos Alcaraz to win the lucrative Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Sinner, replaced as world number one by Alcaraz following the US Open in September, exacted revenge for his defeat in the New York final with a 6-2 6-4 win.
With his victory, the Italian, 24, earned a reported $6m (£4.5m) – including $4.5m (£3.4m) in prize money, in addition to a $1.5m (£1.1m) participation fee.
While the pair split the four Grand Slam titles between them this season, Sinner was dominant from the outset against Alcaraz, who said his opponent was “just too good” on Saturday.
Sinner broke Alcaraz’s serve in the opening game and swiftly wrapped up the first set, with the Spaniard unable to gain a foothold against his opponent’s clinical serving.
He would go on to win the exhibition event for the second consecutive year after making the decisive breakthrough in the seventh game of the second set.
“I wish I could play like this everywhere,” Sinner said in his on-court interview.
“This season we played many, many times and I also lost many times to Carlos. It is a huge pleasure and honour to share the court with him.
“At the same time, you want to get better as a player and you need rivalries in the sport. So it’s nice to have a great rivalry and more importantly a great friendship off the court.
“We have a very special friendship and it’s very nice.”
World number one Carlos Alcaraz says players are misunderstood when they want to play in exhibition tournaments alongside the demanding tennis calendar.
Alcaraz, 22, was among those critical of the workload in Asia, where some players struggled physically, with the Spaniard saying he would consider skipping mandatory events to prioritise his health.
He is top seed at this week’s lucrative Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, a six-man tournament from 15 to 18 October that also includes Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
There is a reported $4.5m (£3.4m) in prize money on offer at the exhibition, with some players also likely to have been paid seven-figure sums to appear.
Reports say the winner could take home up to $6m (£4.5m).
But Alcaraz feels that shorter-format events such as the Six Kings Slam are less gruelling than tour competitions, and therefore make fewer demands on the players.
He said: “A lot of players are talking about the calendar, how tight it is with a lot of tournaments, tournaments of two weeks, and then making excuses with exhibitions.
“It’s a different format, different situation playing exhibitions than the official tournaments, 15, 16 days in row, having such a high focus and demanding physically.
“We’re just having fun for one or two days and playing some tennis, and that’s great, and why we choose the exhibitions.
“I understand [the criticism], but sometimes people don’t understand us, our opinions. It’s not really demanding mentally [compared with] when we’re having such long events like two weeks or two and a half weeks.”
Alcaraz won his eighth title of the season in Tokyo last month despite an ankle injury sustained in his opening match that prompted him to pull out of the Shanghai Masters.
He will play in Saudi Arabia despite the injury not being fully healed. “Everything’s OK,” said Alcaraz. “I’ve been recovering the ankle as much as I can.
“I don’t feel 100% – the doubts are there when I’m moving on court, but it improved a lot and I’m going to compete and perform well in the Six Kings Slam.”
Alcaraz has a bye to the semi-finals of the event, which will be broadcast on Netflix, where he will face either Fritz or Zverev on Thursday.
Exhibitions are meant to promote the sport and take it to new audiences. Organisers want the best players in the world to feature because they will sell more tickets.
Roger Federer played Rafael Nadal in Cape Town in 2020 in front of 51,954 fans – a reported record, external for a tennis crowd at the time, albeit not an official match.
Alcaraz – a gifted, highly entertaining shot-maker – plays a lot of exhibitions.
He faced Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe in New York and North Carolina respectively at the start of the year
Alcaraz and Tiafoe also took part in an event in Puerto Rico, and are scheduled to play alongside Emma Raducanu and Amanda Anisimova in New Jersey in December.
The Spaniard has also been vocal about the strain of the increasingly packed calendar, saying in 2024 they are “going to kill us in some way”.
When asked last year about playing so many exhibitions, Alcaraz said: “I have seen that many people talk about my calendar because I have put many exhibitions [in].
“But you have to separate the calendar and the exhibitions – they are different things.”
Alcaraz’s coach Juan Carlos Ferrero believes, external the style of play at exhibitions – which tend to be about entertainment, rather than winning – helps his charge relax.
Bates was on tour between 1980 and 1996. He rarely played on a slow court.
“In that period of time, there were two completely separate tours,” he explained.
“You had all the players who played on the clay, and then you had everyone else who played on the fast courts and the only time you would see the clay court players would be at the French [Open] and the only time we would see them would be at Wimbledon and the other Slams.
“All the indoor courts we played on were super slick. It was a question of how quick you could get to the net.”
“Most of the top 20 were serve-volleying. Some were playing from the back of the court. That’s what actually made it interesting to watch because you had two completely contrasting game styles, and now you are in a situation where the vast majority of players you watch just cancel each other out.”
Patrick Mouratoglou, the former coach of Serena Williams, says the move to slow down the courts “killed a generation of serve and volley players”.
“But I think it is better for the game because otherwise you would have too many aces and serve winners, which I think is very boring,” he said.
“If you think about it, tennis is very slow. Ace is one second of play, and 30 seconds of wait on tour, which is crazy when you think about it – especially in today’s world when consumers don’t wait that much, and when there is no action you lose them.
And what if the Cincinnati tournament tried to increase their court speed still further?
“We would hear it, we would definitely hear it from the players,” Moran continued.
“I think we were a little bit faster than normal last year. Players were telling us we were wicked fast last year – almost like ice. I don’t know if we could get much faster than we were last year.”
“In my mind great points, point construction, rallies – I think that’s what the fans are looking for.”
Carlos Alcaraz and 21 other pros will enter the tournament alongside 10 amateurs. PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz will headline a new “One Point Slam” at this year’s Australian Open, organisers announced on Tuesday, which will see 10 amateurs go head-to-head with 22 professionals.
A total of AUS$1 million ($700k) will be up for grabs for the overall winner — slightly less than semifinalists in the men’s and women’s main draw will receive.
The event, which will take place on the opening weekend of the season-opening slam, follows the U.S. Open’s attempt to bring new eyeballs to tennis by expanding its mixed doubles competition.
The “One Point Slam” will do exactly as it says: Each match will consist of a single point. A pre-match game of ‘rock, paper, scissors’ will decide who serves.
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“I can reveal today that World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz will headline the pro player line-up in the Million Dollar 1 Point Slam — a thrilling new initiative where one point could win you $1 million,” Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said.
“Whether you’re an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will walk away with the prize. Entries will open soon at clubs across the country, and during Opening Week, finalists will compete for a chance to face the pros on Rod Laver Arena.
“With more big names to be announced soon, you now have a million reasons to pick up a racquet and get ready for January.”
Amateur players will have the chance to win a million-dollar prize when they face tennis’ top professionals – including Carlos Alcaraz – in a single-point showdown before January’s Australian Open.
Organisers of the year’s first Grand Slam tournament announced the ‘Million Dollar One Point Slam’ on Tuesday, which will pit 10 amateur players against 22 professionals.
Headlined by Spain’s world number one Alcaraz, the winner of the event will take home one million Australian dollars (£490,360).
For context, players that reached the semi-finals of the men’s or women’s singles main draw in the 2025 Australian Open won A$1.1m (£539,500).
Players will play ‘rock, paper, scissors’ to determine who serves or receives.
Whoever wins the point also wins the match and progresses to the next round, with the final to be played on Rod Laver Arena.
It follows the US Open’s decision to stage a revamped, stand-alone mixed doubles tournament in August which encouraged top singles players to participate, with the winners receiving $1m (£736,880).
The Australian Open held its inaugural ‘One Point Slam’ event earlier this year, but the prize fund was considerably lower at A$60,000 (£29,400).
Australian professional Omar Jasika won the tournament, which pitted 16 amateurs – eight men and eight women – against 16 professionals.
The amateurs were aged between 15 and 72 in the inaugural edition.
A coin toss was used to determine who served rather than ‘rock, paper and scissors’, while the professionals were only allowed to serve once and the amateur players could serve twice – as is the norm in traditional tennis.
Eight amateurs will qualify through events in each state and territory for the 2026 tournament, while an extra two spots will be up for grabs during the opening week, which starts on Monday, 12 January.
“I can reveal today that world number one Carlos Alcaraz will headline the pro player line-up in the Million Dollar One Point Slam,” Australian Open tournament director Craig Tilley said.
“Whether you’re an amateur or a pro, the ultimate winner will walk away with the prize. Entries will open soon at clubs across the country, and during opening week, finalists will compete for a chance to face the pros on Rod Laver Arena.”
Alexander Zverev thinks that tournament organizers throughout the sport of tennis are rigging the courts to ensure that Carlos Alcarez and Jannik Sinner have deep runs.
Speaking on the court after his win over Valentin Royer at the Shanghai Masters, Zverev claimed that tournament directors were taking variety out of the types of courts to help Alcaraz and Sinner because they “prefer” them having success:
“I hate when it’s the same, to be honest. I think the tournament directors are going towards that direction because, obviously, they want Jannik and Carlos to do well every tournament, and that’s what they prefer. Nowadays, you can play almost the same way on every surface. I don’t like it. I’m not a fan of it. I think tennis needs different game styles, tennis needs a little bit of variety, and I think we’re lacking that right now.”
This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis.
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Alexander Zverev says tournament organizers are slowing down tennis courts to favor Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Zverev, the world No. 3, overcame an injury scare to beat Valentin Royer 6-4, 6-4 at the Shanghai Masters on Saturday but then voiced his displeasure with the way he felt the sport was heading.
“I hate when it’s the same, to be honest,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “I think the tournament directors are going towards that direction because, obviously, they want Jannik and Carlos to do well every tournament, and that’s what they prefer.
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“Nowadays, you can play almost the same way on every surface. I don’t like it. I’m not a fan of it. I think tennis needs different game styles, tennis needs a little bit of variety, and I think we’re lacking that right now.”
Alcaraz and Sinner are the only two players to hold the No. 1 ranking since June 2024. They split this year’s four Grand Slams, and both are coming off title wins — Sinner at the China Open and Alcaraz at the Japan Open — though Alcaraz is missing the Shanghai Masters because of a left ankle injury.
Zverev had to be treated on court for a toe injury when serving for the match at 5-4, but it did not halt his progress.
“I landed funny on my toe, and after that I could barely do a step, so we’ll see what it is,” he said. “We will see if I will ever be healthy this year again, because it’s been a struggle, but I’m happy to be through.”
PA contributed to this report.
World number one Carlos Alcaraz beat Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-4 at the Japan Open – before pulling out of this week’s Shanghai Masters.
Alcaraz secured his eighth ATP title of the year in Tokyo.
But he then announced that he has withdrawn from the tournament in Shanghai, which starts on Tuesday, writing on Instagram that “the best decision is to rest and recover”.
“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,” he wrote.
The Spaniard twisted his left ankle during his opening-round match in Tokyo last Thursday.
But he showed no signs of an issue during the final, broke for 5-4 and served out for the first set against Fritz.
Fritz twice required treatment to his left thigh before returning for the second and Alcaraz seized the opportunity to pile on the pressure.
The American was broken twice and trailed 4-1 but did offer some resistance in the closing stages, chalking one of those off, but didn’t have enough to stop the six-time Grand Slam champion.
Since losing against Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon in July, Alcaraz has won three successive ATP titles – the Cincinnati Open, US Open and Tokyo Open.
But he will not take part in the tournament in Shanghai, where he reached the quarter-finals last year.
The Japan Open is Alcaraz’s 67th win of the season as he closes in further on Sinner’s tally of 73 wins in 2024.
After consoling his opponent and embracing his team at the end of another successful week on the tour, Carlos Alcaraz had just one thought on his mind. He immediately sought out a pair of scissors to finally remove the extensive bandage wrapped tightly around his left ankle.
Having started his week in Tokyo by rolling his ankle and being unsure about whether he would continue, Alcaraz, the ATP No 1, ended it with his eighth title of the season as he overcame a spirited fight from a physically hampered Taylor Fritz to triumph at the Japan Open with a 6-4, 6-4 win.
Throughout the first few years of his career, even as he continued to win the biggest titles at a faster rate than almost any other male player in history, Alcarazâ€s relative inconsistency had been a dominant narrative surrounding his career. He has addressed those criticisms by putting together one of the greatest seasons of the past decade, one that has re-established him as the best player in the world.
Alcaraz has now reached nine consecutive finals, winning seven titles across all three surfaces and establishing a 66-6 (92%) record at individual events this year. At just 22 years old, the five-time grand slam champion and world No 1 has now won 24 ATP titles.
The past week has been particularly challenging. Four games into his first-round match against Sebastian Baez, Alcaraz rolled his left ankle. As he tried to play through pain and find a way through that match, Alcaraz was unsure whether he would be able to continue. Although Alcaraz played the rest of the tournament with his ankle heavily taped, he moved with increasing freedom in each match.
During his victory speech, Alcaraz thanked his physio Juanjo Moreno for his work during the week: “Starting the week not really good, with the ankle, and the way that I came back from that playing such a great tournament, great matches, Iâ€m just really happy about it,†he said.
Fritz, the No 4 and second seed, entered this final with ample reason to believe he could win after convincingly beating the Spaniard for the first time last week in the Laver Cup, where the American played some of the best tennis of his career and led Team World to victory. With an individual title on the line, however, Alcaraz was clearly performing at a much higher level from the beginning.
Although Fritz opened the match using his destructive first serve well, playing confident attacking tennis and working through his early service games, Alcaraz gradually took control of the baseline exchanges. He dominated with his forehand, currently the biggest weapon on the tour, he exposed the Americanâ€s average movement with his drop shots and he absorbed Fritzâ€s first strike with his own spectacular movement.
Carlos Alcaraz returns a shot against Taylor Fritz during the Japan Open final. Photograph: Rodrigo Reyes Marin/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
After conceding his first service game right at the end of the first set, Fritz called for the trainer and he received a medical timeout for his left thigh. He was clearly struggling with his movement throughout the second set and he was unable to push off his left leg when dragged out into the corners. Even at full health, defeating Alcaraz in his current form is a monumental challenge. Here it was simply too much.
Still, Fritz bravely continued to fight and, not for the first time in his career, Alcaraz began to lose his focus against his hampered opponent. From 5-1 in the second set, Alcaraz instead found himself desperately trying to hold on at 5-4, 15-30. He demonstrated his confidence in the final moments by regaining his composure precisely when he needed it, striking three consecutive drop shot winners from 15-30 down to close out yet another win.