Jannik Sinner is the six million dollar man. The world number 1, beating his rival and friend Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Six Kings Slam, the rich exhibition tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, won the super prize up for grabs.
The South Tyrolean got the better of the Spaniard in three sets (6-7, 6-3, 6-3), managing to reset after the first set lost in the tiebreak and putting the Iberian in difficulty with an always aggressive game.
"First of all I want to start from where Carlos left off, thank you it was a great experience - said the Italian during the award ceremony - I will definitely come back next year. It's a great challenge between us, we wake up in the morning looking for ways to beat each other. The reason we came here is to show you what tennis is. Carlos and I are good friends, we try to have fun. So far our matches have been great and we hope our rivalry lasts as long as possible. I thank all the fans, the atmosphere has been incredible since day one".
More than a performance, it was a sort of revenge, given that in 2024 Sinner has always come out defeated in the confrontations with the Murcian, the last time, in chronological order, a couple of weeks ago in the final in Beijing.
From a rivalry destined to last a long time, that between Sinner and Alcaraz, to the last dance of the longest rivalry in the history of tennis, that between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, won by the Serbian who is the third classified at the Six Kings Slam thanks to the victory in two sets (6-2, 7-6) over the Majorcan. Far beyond the result, however, the evening in Riyadh had an enormous symbolic value. The last act of an endless story, the 61st confrontation between two players who have written the history of tennis, winning 46 Slams in total.
And once again Djokovic and Nadal put on a show: Nole with his clarity in key moments, Rafa with his resilience and warrior spirit. The long embrace at the net with Djokovic, the closing of a circle opened in 2006 on the red clay of Roland Garros. «You are an incredible athlete and person. Our rivalry has been very intense, I hope that one day we can have a drink on a beach. I know how many sacrifices are needed in the career of a great champion. It was a pleasure and an honor to share the court with you. It's a day, an emotional moment. Don't leave tennis yet, stay with us», Djokovic's words addressed to his lifelong rival. Who reciprocates the kind words: «I want to say a few words to Novak, to thank him for what you said today, for all the moments we shared. You helped me go beyond my limits for over 15 years. Without you, I wouldn't have become the player I am. What will I miss most at the end of my career? Probably everything. It was a dream to have the chance to play in the biggest stadiums in the world, I received incredible support everywhere. It was a huge privilege to be a tennis player and to be surrounded by great people."
Nadal bids farewell to Riyadh with a standing ovation from the crowd and a gift of a large golden racket as a game racket (in addition to the generous participation fee).
(Online Union)
