Sinner defeats Alcaraz to defend his title at Saudi Six Kings Slam

RIYADH, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- World No. 2 Jannik Sinner of Italy defended his title at the 2025 Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis tournament on Saturday night, defeating world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in straight sets.

Sinner displayed outstanding form in a repeat of last year's Six Kings Slam final, as he broke Alcaraz's serve in the very first game and went on to complete two more breaks. Dominating with his serve, Sinner won over 80 percent of points on both his first and second serves and did not face a single break point throughout the match. The Italian ultimately prevailed 6-2, 6-4 to claim back-to-back titles at the event.

The two last faced each other a little over a month ago in the US Open final, where Alcaraz claimed his sixth career Grand Slam singles title and bounced back to world No. 1.

After the match, Alcaraz praised Sinner's performance. "When Jannik is playing at this level, it's always difficult. Today, he was just too good. And I think everybody could enjoy his tennis today," he said.

"Sometimes, it seems like he is playing ping-pong," Alcaraz added. "It's not funny, to be honest, being on the other side of the net. I always said that when he plays such a great tennis, it gives me motivation just to go to the practice court, give my 100%, try to be better."

Sinner also expressed respect for his rival. "This season we play many times. I also lost many times against Carlos. First of all, it's a huge pleasure and an honor to share the court with him."

"At the same time, you want to get better as a tennis player, and you need rivalries in this sport. It's nice to have a great rivalry and also, more importantly, a great friendship off the court," he added.

In the third-place match earlier in the day between Novak Djokovic and American Taylor Fritz, the Serbian veteran narrowly lost in a tiebreak after a grueling 75-minute first set and later retired due to physical discomfort.

"I'm sorry. You couldn't see the second set," Djokovic told the crowd. "But credit to Taylor. We had some incredible games towards the end of that set. And it was one of the longest sets I ever played."

He also promised the audience that if he continues his professional career, he will return to compete in Riyadh next year. The spectators responded with enthusiastic applause and cheers, showing their respect for the 38-year-old veteran.

The Six Kings Slam exhibition tournament was launched in 2024 as part of the Riyadh Season with six of the world's top male players competing in the event annually. ■