Jannik Sinner recently had a successful trip to Saudi Arabia, and he’s thinking about heading back to the Middle East during his break from tournaments. He played in the Six Kings Slam exhibition there from October 16th to 19th. Big names like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune also joined the event.
While this exhibition was happening, other tournaments like the Almaty Open and Stockholm Open were going on too. Some people worried that these events might take attention away from official ATP tournaments that offer ranking points. Since then, Sinner hasn’t been on the court again. He skipped defending his title at the Vienna Open and pulled out of the Paris Masters because he wasn’t feeling well .
Controversy Around Six Kings Slam
Cedric Pioline, who runs the Paris Masters tournament, hinted that Sinner’s withdrawal might be connected to playing in Saudi Arabia. He suggested that this exhibition could be disturbing tennis overall. But with such big prize money offered in Saudi Arabia, it’s hard for players to ignore it. Each participant at the event got $1.5 million just for showing up.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇹 Jannik Sinner | 23 | 15,405 | 33 - 3 |
Winning against Alcaraz in the final brought Sinner a whopping $6 million—the biggest payout ever for a tennis player! Yet he insisted afterward that money isn’t what drives him to play tennis. Some folks doubt his claim since Alcaraz openly said that cash was one reason he participated.
Fans might think it’s tricky when players say they don’t care about money but still join high-paying exhibitions.
Looking ahead to next year’s season, reports say Sinner plans more training in the Middle East during his off-season break.
Last year saw him train with Alcaraz in Alicante; most of his pre-2024 prep happened at Monte Carlo Country Club though now rumors suggest he’ll head outside Europe soon.
La Gazzetta dello Sport mentions Dubai as his training spot starting December 10th until Christmas—just like Federer and Djokovic have done before!
Training somewhere warm offers privacy plus helps get ready for competitions like Australian Open while being away from family could be tough yet shows dedication needed reaching top rankings worldwide!
As US Open champ focuses on healing up before ATP Finals followed by much-needed rest leading into preparations towards 2025 season—isn’t it interesting how athletes balance personal sacrifices alongside professional goals? What do you think?
