A difference in approach, perhaps a difference in intellectual honesty in admitting a situation that is clear for all to see, but Carlos Alcaraz had the honesty to admit that he went to Riyadh to play the rich Saudi Arabia exhibition The Six Kings Slam also for the rich prize money offered by the PIF, the Saudi Arabian Investment Fund now partner of ATP. A big difference, considering that his Italian rival Jannik Sinner said he went to Riyadh only to play against the best tennis players on the planet, and not for the prize money.
“It’s a nice prize of course, but I went there because there were the six best players in the world. I don’t play for money, it’s simple. I could measure myself against opponents like them and it was a nice event for me. Money is not the most important thing, I live well even without it,” said Sinner.
On the one hand, people focused on the fact that it was not an official tournament and that without the high stakes it would not have attracted any tennis player; on the other hand, however, many considered the level of the protagonists, also glimpsing the possible desire of a player to want to improve by measuring himself against the best. At the press conference, during the media day of the Paris Rolex Masters, journalists asked Alcaraz how Sinner said in an interview that he did not go to the Six Kings Slam for money and that his motivations were different, and what instead pushed Carlitos to play the exhibition. The Spaniard was very sincere, explaining that he loves his job, but admitting that he had thought about money when he agreed to be part of the Saudi event.
“If I said that I went there just to have fun or to play without thinking about money, I would be lying. It’s obvious: every person works for that too. That’s how life works. I love playing tennis and most of the time I don’t think about money. I play for love and fun, but you have to be realistic. You want to earn money. In Saudi Arabia there was the highest prize money in history, so it was a good motivation. At least for me,” he said.
Carlos Alcaraz says money was a big reason he played in Saudi Arabia, ‘If I say I went there just for fun & forget the money, I’m gonna lie’
“Jannik Sinner said in an interview last week that he went to the 6 Kings Slam not for money, that his motivations were different. What… pic.twitter.com/nwWKHkKpPX
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 28, 2024
I don’t want to say that Jannik said something untrue, far from it, but it seems beyond impossible to say that he played only for his opponents on the court. The other level of rivals was certainly a strong motivation for the Italian, but such prize money, the highest ever seen in tennis, cannot but have had an impact on his decision.
Speaking of their rivalry, Alcaraz – excluding The Six Kings Slam – has defeated Sinner three times out of three, in 2024: in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the French Open and in the final of the China Open tournament in Beijing. In addition to the direct clashes brought home against the Italian, the Spaniard has been the author of a great season, winning two Slams in a row at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Despite this, the gap that separates him from Sinner and the top of the ATP ranking is 4300 points. A gap that he will try to make less clear at the Rolex Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. Just before the debut in Paris-Bercy, in the media day, Alcaraz spoke about some of his disappointing performances and the season of his direct rival.
“Distance between me and Sinner in the rankings? It doesn’t matter that I beat Jannik three times in 2024. I probably didn’t play well in some tournaments. My win percentage is really high, but Jannik is on another level this year. He has over 91% wins in the season: few players have managed to reach this percentage before. I think all players try to be consistent throughout the year. You want to go as far as possible in every tournament. That’s the goal I set for myself for next year. There are tournaments where I didn’t play well and I didn’t go far. I will try not to lose in the early rounds, as happened in some circumstances this year,” he explained.
Carlos Alcaraz was asked about playing Jannik Sinner. His answer is classy as always.
🗣️ “He has shown throughout the year that he’s the best player in the world. The way he plays is unbelievable, you know, the best ball striker on the tour. [..] It has been really close. I… pic.twitter.com/DDvNRLRn5i
— Carlos Alcaraz Daily (@alcarazdaily) October 29, 2024
Carlitos will face the winner of the match between Lorenzo Sonego and Nicolas Jarry, in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris-Bercy.