CARLOS ALCARAZ HITS BACK AT CRITICS OVER SIX KINGS SLAM
Carlos Alcaraz defends players competing in exhibitions like the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, stating they are less demanding than the gruelling official tour schedule.
Carlos Alcaraz has maintained that when it comes to criticism of exhibition tournaments, players are misinterpreted.
In addition to Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alcaraz is the top seed at this week's prestigious Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia.
The world No. 1 said he would think about skipping required events to put his health first. Alcaraz was one among those criticising the rigorous tour schedule in Asia, where several players experienced physical difficulties.
Thus, the Spaniard can see why the Six Kings Slam is causing some concern, but he thinks the naysayers are misguided.
"I think it is a discussion that a lot of players and a lot of people are talking about with the calendar, how tight it is with a lot of tournaments and the tournaments of two weeks, and then making some, I am going to say, excuses with exhibitions, how players are complaining about the calendar and then playing some exhibitions," Alcaraz told the PA news agency.
"All I can say is that playing exhibitions is a completely different structure and scenario than the actual tournaments, with 15–16 days in a row, a high level of intensity, and physical demands.
That is why we occasionally select the exhibitions, in my opinion, since we are merely enjoying ourselves for a day or two while playing tennis.
Of course, I am aware of the criticism, but occasionally, people fail to comprehend us or our viewpoints.
I do not understand why so many people are moaning about how we are defending the exhibitions when, as I mentioned, it is not as psychologically taxing as it would be during our two-week or two-and-a-half-week events. It is very difficult.
Despite suffering an ankle injury in his opening match that forced him to withdraw from the Shanghai Masters, Alcaraz won his eighth title of an incredible season in Tokyo last month.
Despite acknowledging that the injury is not completely healed, the 22-year-old decided to travel to Saudi Arabia, stating, "Everything's OK." I have been doing my best to recover from the ankle.
"I think it improved a lot, and I am going to compete and perform well here in the Six Kings Slam," the player said. "I would not say without a doubt, but I do have some doubts while I am moving on court."
At the event, which is a part of Riyadh Season and will be televised on Netflix, Alcaraz has advanced to the semi-finals, where he will play either Fritz or Zverev on Thursday.
He wants to surpass last year's inaugural Six Kings Slam, in which Sinner emerged victorious in their last match and took home the largest reward in tennis, $6 million (about £4.5 million).
Alcaraz, however, is back in familiar sporting ground after competing in the Open de España Pro-Am last week with Ryder Cup stalwarts Shane Lowry and Jon Rahm.
Alcaraz is an avid golfer, and during his days off at the US Open, the Spaniard hits the fairways.
"It was an amazing experience," he remarked. "I spent a day playing with Jon and Lowry, along with other professionals, in Madrid. It was wonderful to play golf with them because I want to maximise my time when I am taking some days off.
I am taking a lot of notes from them and realising that I still have a lot of golfing to do. I was impressed when I watched them hit the ball and play at such a high level. Sometimes, feeling like an amateur is fantastic.
JOAO FONSECA REVEALS THE BRUTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PLAYING CARLOS ALCARAZ AND SINNER
Joao Fonseca labels Jannik Sinner a "robot" and claims Carlos Alcaraz has a "bigger arsenal" after his Miami Open exit.
Joao Fonseca hasn’t exactly had a smooth stretch lately. Just look at his recent opponents, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, two heavyweights at the top of the tennis world. Alcaraz beat Fonseca 6-4, 6-4 in Miami, but Fonseca came away with more than just a loss. He’s got a clearer view now of what separates these two giants.
For tennis fans, watching Fonseca face Sinner and Alcaraz was pretty much a dream matchup. The kid’s got hype; people seriously believe he’s the one who’ll someday challenge those two, who for now seem like they’re playing in their own league, barely threatened.
Fonseca still has a journey ahead before anyone can seriously talk about him joining their ranks. But the early signs are strong. He already snagged two ATP titles and climbed to world number 24 in his rookie year – a wild start. Injuries held him back for a bit at the beginning of 2026, but he seems to be finding his feet again, pushing the world’s best in two solid matches.
In Miami, Fonseca made his first-ever fourth-round showing at a Masters 1000, hoping he could keep his momentum against Sinner. He actually had three set points in the first, but Sinner took control and won two tiebreaks, ending Fonseca’s run, but not before Fonseca pushed him hard. Against Alcaraz, Fonseca tried to bring the same level, but it wasn’t enough. Alcaraz broke his serve once per set just enough to claim the win and finish Fonseca’s Miami campaign for another year.
So what does Fonseca make of the difference between Alcaraz and Sinner? After going toe-to-toe with both, he shared his thoughts: “I think Alcaraz has more arsenal than Sinner,” he said in his press conference. Sinner’s like a robot who just kills the ball and does everything perfectly. Carlos? He can do it all: topspin, power, movement, and net play. He’s got everything. It’s harder to read his game because he can break your rhythm in so many ways.”
When it came to Sinner, Fonseca felt more comfortable. “Jannik’s game let me come in without fear and play my style,” he admitted. “But I didn’t take the chances when I had them, and he played well; he’s world number one for a reason. I’ve got to look at my own mistakes and improve.”
The main thing, according to Fonseca, is that Alcaraz is unpredictable. “He’s got pretty much everything, so you don’t know what’s coming. Serve, serve and volley, serve wide and then blast a plus-one shot. That’s what makes playing him tough. You’ve got to play almost a flawless match.”
This wasn’t their first meeting. Fonseca and Alcaraz had faced off at the Miami Tennis Invitational last December, with Alcaraz edging out a super-tight final-set tiebreak. That match hinted at a rivalry that could get a lot more interesting in the future.
WHY DID NOVAK DJOKOVIC REACH OUT TO MOISE KOUAME DESPITE WITHDRAWING FROM MIAMI 2026?
Moise Kouame, 17, becomes the youngest Miami Open winner in history and reveals a secret Instagram DM from Novak Djokovic.
Moise Kouame is only 17, but he’s already catching everyone’s eye in tennis. He started this year on fire, grabbing back-to-back ITF titles, then reaching a Challenger semi-final. Now, he's just picked up his first-ever win on the ATP Tour at a Masters 1000 event, no less.
In other news, Leicester City is fighting back against a six-point penalty for breaking financial rules.
Back to Kouame, the world No. 385 pulled off a gritty comeback against Zachary Svajda, winning 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, even while cramping up by the end. People packed Court 7 to watch him make his Masters 1000 debut as a wildcard. Even Novak Djokovic, who skipped the tournament with a shoulder injury, was watching from afar. Since 2019, Djokovic has only played in Miami once, when he was runner-up last year, but clearly, he’s still following the action.
Now, Kouame has made a bit of history. At 17 years and 13 days old, he’s the youngest man ever to win a match at the Miami Open, matched a Nadal record from 2003, and became the seventh-youngest winner at this level. Not bad for a debut. And then, right after his win, he got a message from his idol. Honestly, Kouame was left speechless.
When Steve Weissman from Tennis Channel interviewed him after his first main-draw tour win, Kouame couldn’t hide his nerves. “Actually, I have a small secret. After the win, Novak texted me. I’m so nervous. I don’t know what to answer! I’m really so nervous right now. I don’t know if I’m going to answer. Maybe if you have tips, maybe you can give me?”
He tried to figure out what to say. Should he just text, "Thank you, Novak"? Or maybe, "Thank you, my idol"? Nothing sounded right. “No, never [met him]. It’s my dream. [It was] on Instagram! He DMed me. So, imagine having your idol DM you like this. Oh my god. This is too much for me. Oh my god. Coolest thing ever.”
Weissman jumped in with a bit of advice, too: “Don’t just double-tap it; you’ve got to give a response. ‘Thanks so much, Novak. If you have any time to meet in the future, that would be amazing. Any tips you have, maybe some advice.’
Some tips from Djokovic would come in handy, especially with Kouame set to face 21st seed Jiri Lehecka next. He had to see the physio for cramps after his first-round win, but told Tennis Channel he was doing alright, just a little jittery about talking live on TV.
“Now I’m feeling good, quite stressed! Obviously, we’re live, and my English, all this – I’m quite stressed. But in the match it was cool. I had some cramps, but yeah, I managed to get over it and win at the end. I’m really happy with it,” he said.
What a ride: first big ATP win, a message from Djokovic, and now the whole tennis world is watching.
