Serve On SI

Jannik Sinner Beats Carlos Alcaraz to Win Six Kings Slam

Jannik Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz in three sets to win the Six Kings Slam.

Pat Benson

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Jannik Sinner of Italy after their match on day 13 of Roland Garros at Stade Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Jannik Sinner of Italy after their match on day 13 of Roland Garros at Stade Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images / Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

The future faces of tennis squared off on Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Jannik Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz in three sets in the finals of the Six Kings Slam: 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3.

Sinner won the entire exhibition and the $6 million prize money (in addition to the $1.5 million appearance fee); it is the largest prize in tennis tournament history. While many fans wondered about effort, all doubt was removed by the battle between Sinner and Alcaraz.

Sinner looked sharp throughout the match. However, Alcaraz came back from 1-4 in the first set to win the tie break. But Sinner was unfazed by Alcaraz's power (including his 109 mph forehand) and had an answer for almost everything.

When asked how he envisioned the future of the rivalry, Alcaraz tried to temper expectations by talking about how hard he needed to work.

He did say, "Thanks to him [Sinner] I push myself to the limit. I give my 100% every day to be a better player. It's a pleasure every time I share the court with him. Sometimes it’s tough to find the joy. But it’s great every time I face him."

When asked how he felt about the rivalry, Sinner said, "It's a mix of everything. As Carlos said, we try to push ourselves to the limit. I wake up in the morning trying to understand the ways to beat him. These kind of rivalries and players push us to our 100% limit.

I’m happy about this today. But the reason we came here was to show all of you what tennis is about. It can be long sometimes, like today. But we just try our best. Hopefully you enjoyed the show."

When pressed to name Alcaraz as his biggest rival, Sinner said, "We understand each other. We travel a lot. I would say we are good friends. Not the best out of the best. But we like to share every time when we go on court. We try to enjoy.

Every match has been very very good. Hopefully this rivalry will last as long as possible. But there are so many other players who can jump in. Let's see what’s coming in the future."

Of course, the Six Kings Slam is an exhibition tournament and does not count in the ATP record books. But it did provide tennis fans with another intriguing battle between the sport's brightest stars.

Sinner and Alcaraz have faced each other ten times, with Alcaraz winning six matches (not counting today). As tennis fans said goodbye to one historic rivalry today, they should be able to look forward to many more years of battles between Sinner and Alcaraz.

Alcaraz, 21, is the World No. 2 and has a record of 51-10 with four titles (including the French Open and Wimbledon) this year. Not to mention he won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Sinner, 23, is the World No. 1 and has a record of 65-6 with seven titles (including his first two Grand Slams at the Australian Open and US Open). Both Alcaraz and Sinner will compete in the ATP Finals next month.

Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

More Tennis News

Published |Modified
Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

Home/News