Yannik Sinner beats Novak Djokovic
Sinner had previously reached the final. The Italian beat Djokovic 6:2, 6:7 (0:7), 6:4. “We were both a bit tired. It was a tough game,” said Sinner, who continued his successful run by winning the prestigious duel. A few days ago he had already prevailed against the Serb in the final of the ATP Masters in Shanghai. Now he needed 2:27 hours to defeat his competitor.
The spectacularly marketed “Six Kings Slam” and the participation of the sport’s top stars caused discussions in advance. Critics accuse the venue, Saudi Arabia, of wanting to use “sportswashing” to cover up mistakes such as human rights violations. The star line-up in Riyadh is also interesting in view of the simmering discussion about stress in professional tennis. Alcaraz, who recently complained loudly about the calendar being too full (“it will kill us”), is now at the start in Saudi Arabia at the Laver Cup, as he did last time in Berlin.
Each of the six players will reportedly receive at least $1.5 million for their participation, with the winner receiving as much as $6 million. That’s about twice as much as world number one Jannik Sinner received for his victory at the US Open.
