Jannik Sinner secured an impressive triumph over Carlos Alcaraz, his rival, to seize the Six Kings Slam title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Following the US Open in September, Alcaraz had overtaken Sinner as the top-ranked player globally, but Sinner retaliated for his previous loss in the New York final with a victory of 6-2, 6-4.
The Italian player, aged 24, reportedly earned $6 million (£4.5 million) with his victory, including $4.5 million (£3.4 million) in prize money, in addition to a participation fee of $1.5 million (£1.1 million).
While the duo evenly distributed the four Grand Slam titles this year, Sinner demonstrated his dominance from the start against Alcaraz, who acknowledged that his competitor was “simply too good” on Saturday.
In the opening game, Sinner broke Alcaraz’s serve and swiftly secured the first set, with the Spaniard struggling to gain any ground against his rival’s precise serving.
He proceeded to win the exhibition event for the second successive year after achieving the crucial breakthrough in the seventh game of the second set.
“I aspire to replicate this level of play consistently,” Sinner expressed during his post-match interview on the court.
“This season, we have competed against each other numerous times, and I have also suffered defeats against Carlos. It is a tremendous pleasure and honor to share the court with him.
“Concurrently, the objective is to improve as a player, and rivalries are essential in the sport. Therefore, it is advantageous to have a significant rivalry and, more importantly, a strong friendship beyond the court.
“We share a truly special bond, and it is incredibly enjoyable.”
