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Topics: Tennis, Carlos Alcaraz
Nasir Jabbar
Carlos Alcaraz has shared his honest assessment of the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia amid backlash of the event.
Alcaraz has joined Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev in Saudi Arabia for the Six Kings Slam - the second instalment of the event that was founded last year.
The four-day tournament has been squeezed into an already hectic schedule, with the tennis season spanning 11 months - which includes ATP, WTA and ITF's four grand slam tournaments.
But Alcaraz, who will take on Taylor Fritz for a spot in the finals, has defended the Six Kings Slam, referencing the exhibition-style format.
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He claims playing in an exhibition is easier on the body than playing in an official tournament and revealed why he opted to play in Saudi Arabia.
"I think it’s 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’m going to say, excuses with exhibitions, how players are complaining about the calendar and then playing some exhibitions," he told the PA news agency.
"All I can say is it’s a really different format, different situation playing exhibitions than the official tournaments, having 15, 16 days in row, having such a high focus and demanding physically.
"That’s why, because we’re just having fun for one or two days and playing some tennis, and I think that’s great, and I think that’s why we choose sometimes the exhibitions."
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Alcaraz, who made the final of last year's Six Kings Slam, added: "Obviously I understand (the criticism), but sometimes the people don’t understand us, our opinions.
"When I see a lot of people complaining about how we are defending the exhibitions, I don’t understand them because, as I said, it’s not really demanding mentally (compared to) when we’re having such long events like two weeks or two-and-a-half weeks. It’s really tough."
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Sinner, who could meet Alcaraz in the final of this year's Six Kings Slam, weighed in on the much-talked-about tournament, too, claiming money was part of his motivation to take part given players earn $1.5 million for just appearing.
Speaking after his straight sets win over Tsitsipas, Sinner said: "We are all driven by our passion for tennis, but I would be lying if I said there is no motivation for money; we all know what is at stake."
Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic and Fritz remain in the Six Kings Slam, with the winner in line to receive $4.5 million.