The Italian Jannik Sinner and the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz will face each other on Saturday in the final of the “Six Kings Slam”, an exhibition tournament that takes place in Riyadh and in which today they beat two legends: the Serbian Novak Djokovic and the Spanish Rafael Nadal , both installed directly in the semifinals.
The duel between the two members of the “Big Three” on Saudi soil will finally be for third place to increase a history that indicates that in 60 matches, 31 were won by the Serbian and the remaining 29 by Nadal, who will say goodbye to tennis after the phase Davis Cup final in Malaga.
November will be the last opportunity to see Nadal in action, who at the age of 38 today stood up to his former partner in the Olympic doubles tournament at the Paris Games, from which they said goodbye in the quarterfinals.
Alcaraz, second in the ranking led by Sinner, beat him by a double 6-3 and forced him to appeal to the best of his tennis to stay in the match, although as Nadal himself anticipated in the preview, his expectations were not high with so little filming in recent years.
“I feel happy just for the fact of going out on the court and being able to face these great champions once again,” Nadal also said when he warned that “Carlos and Jannik are the future of tennis.”
Perhaps that’s why he looked relaxed and smiling, like rarely in the defeat, after which today he even had the pleasure of taking photos with the Brazilian star Neymar, present among the spectators who enjoyed the show.
The public thanked him with a prolonged applause that seemed to move him when he admitted, while watching his wife and son in the stands: “I have been lucky enough to feel loved in every place I have played throughout my career.”
Now he will prepare for the most repeated duel in the history of tennis against Djokovic, also on Saturday and thinking in terms of the Davis Cup “because – he said – I want to help my country” to fight for the “Silver Salad Bowl”, which he won. on five occasions, the first of them in 2004.
20 years after that feat in Seville, Rafa will go for the last dose of glory after having fun today with Alcaraz, who after the match acknowledged: “I had to play at my best level to beat him, but what I enjoy most is having been able to share this good moment with him.”
The 21-year-old Iberian and winner of four Grand Slam titles (US Open 2022, Wimbledon 2023 and 2024 and Roland Garros this year), will be able to say that he matched the record against Nadal, who defeated him twice and today suffered his second setback in front of his compatriot.
Now, Alcaraz will go for a Sinner who is also on a roll and who today unbalanced his record with Djokovic in his favor, whom he beat five times against four victories for the Serbian, after defeating him 6-2, 6-7 (0/7 ) and 6-4 in two hours and 27 minutes.
“I’m very happy with how the match ended up going and for playing again on Saturday,” said the 23-year-old Italian, winner this year of his first Grand Slam titles in Australia and the US Open, after beating a current rival. at 37 years old and another of the greatest legends of this sport (with 24 Grand Slam crowns, two more than Nadal).
In his debut in the tournament, which distributes 13 million dollars in prizes and about six million to the champion, Sinner had eliminated the Russian Daniil Medvedev, fifth in the ranking, by 6-0 and 6-3, while Alcaraz agreed to the semifinals after defeating the Danish Holger Rune (14) 6-4 and 6-2.
The Italian once again gave an account of Djokovic, this year’s Olympic champion in Paris, whom he had beaten on Sunday in the final of the Shanghai Masters 1000 and who gave him some scares today, taking advantage of some of Sinner’s ups and downs throughout the match.
The spectacle that the organizers intended to give to promote the sport in Saudi Arabia was assured and was confirmed in the two semifinals that pitted the old and the new generation of tennis.
Fatigue took its toll on “Nole” as he had to appeal to the physiotherapist for an ailment in his right shoulder that did not prevent him from completing the duel, “really hard”, as Sinner would later admit, highlighting: “We tried to play better in each point and “We take the game very seriously.”
“Just four days ago we collided in the Shanghai final and today we both made some mistakes, but they are normal. Luckily I managed to hit some shots that allowed me to right the match,” he added.
“Generally, I am a calm person, but I also get tense and nervous because I want to close this tournament in the best way and also the year trying to offer the best show possible,” he concluded.
“He is the best player in the world and what he is doing is impressive,” his next rival Alcaraz highlighted about Sinner, remembering that “we have had great battles and it will be a difficult match that I will try to beat him.”
It remains to be seen which of the two representatives of the new generation prevails, while those of the old guard will dance their “last tango”, for the joy and nostalgia of lovers of this sport and not only.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © -
