Tonight is the Saudi Six Kings Grand Slam final, where Alcaraz and Sinner face off—who will succeed in avenging their loss?

At 11 PM tonight, the world number one, Spain’s versatile warrior Alcaraz, and the world number two, Italy’s rising star Sinner, will face off again in the Saudi Six Kings Grand Slam exhibition final for the second year running, battling for the title and $4.5 million in prize money.

The Saudi Six Kings Grand Slam exhibition is the highest-paying event today in terms of appearance fees and championship prize money. Each of the invited “Six Kings” receives $1.5 million just for showing up; the final winner claims an additional $4.5 million, totaling $6 million. Even more remarkable, all appearance fees and prize money are completely tax-free in Saudi Arabia!

At last year’s inaugural Saudi Six Kings Grand Slam exhibition, the invited players included Serbian star Djokovic, Spanish legend Nadal, Italy’s rising star Sinner, Spain’s versatile warrior Alcaraz, Russian powerhouse Medvedev, and Denmark’s rising talent Rune. In the final, after losing the first set in a tiebreak, Sinner came back to win two sets 6-3, 6-3, overturning Alcaraz—who had beaten him three times consecutively this season (Indian Wells Masters semifinal, French Open semifinal, ATP 500 China Open final)—to claim the title and the $6 million prize.

This year’s second Saudi Six Kings Grand Slam exhibition features a star-studded lineup: the world’s top five players including Spain’s versatile warrior Alcaraz, Italy’s rising star Sinner, Germany’s powerhouse Zverev, American father Fritz, Serbian star Djokovic, and Greece’s pirate Tsitsipas, who replaced the injured British player Draper. This lineup is even more luxurious and powerful than last year’s.

In the quarterfinals on October 15, Fritz defeated Zverev in straight sets, and Sinner beat Tsitsipas in straight sets; on October 16 in the semifinals, Alcaraz overcame Fritz in two sets, while Sinner defeated Djokovic in two sets, setting up a clash between the world’s top two tonight in the final.

Aside from the huge appearance fees and prize money, the Saudi Six Kings Grand Slam exhibition offers no ATP world ranking points and does not count towards official head-to-head records. Yet, players like Alcaraz and Tsitsipas, who recently withdrew from the Shanghai Masters due to injuries, Sinner who retired mid-match in Shanghai due to severe leg cramps, and Djokovic who struggled with hot and humid conditions causing multiple medical timeouts, all willingly accepted the invitation to compete. It’s no surprise that fans and media criticize these players for withdrawing from ATP tour events due to injuries or complaining about the crowded schedule, yet still participating in such exhibitions—the reasons are quite clear.

For both Alcaraz and Sinner, although the Saudi Six Kings Grand Slam exhibition offers no ranking points and does not affect their head-to-head record, tonight’s final remains critically important and demands absolute focus. The outcome not only decides the champion and the $4.5 million prize but also greatly impacts their confidence and momentum as they push to battle for the year-end world number one ranking.

Moreover, with the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open finals having taken place recently, the rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner has been thrilling! Alcaraz miraculously saved three consecutive championship points to successfully defend his French Open title. Learning from that, Sinner made adjustments to upset two-time defending champion Alcaraz at Wimbledon, claiming his first Wimbledon and fourth Grand Slam title. Alcaraz swiftly avenged that loss at the US Open final, shattering Sinner’s hopes of defending his title, winning his second US Open and sixth Grand Slam crown, and reclaiming the world number one ranking from Sinner.

At 11 PM tonight, the Saudi Six Kings Grand Slam final features the world’s top two chosen rivals in another peak showdown. Will Sinner avenge his US Open final defeat to successfully defend his Saudi Six Kings Grand Slam title? Or will Alcaraz avenge last year’s Saudi Six Kings final loss and, after earning the highest-ever $5 million Grand Slam prize at this year’s US Open, claim another massive $6 million prize?

(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Qicai Doufen)