Sinner's Win Over Djokovic at Six Kings Slam Won't Count Due to Unusual Rule
Jannik Sinner's victory over Djokovic at the Six Kings Slam will not count due to an unusual rule.
The Italian world number two will renew his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the exhibition tournament, which is taking place in Saudi Arabia as part of Riyadh Season.
Alcaraz booked his place in the final after cruising past American Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-2, while Sinner produced a dominant display to defeat Djokovic by the same scoreline.
Despite Sinner's impressive victory over Djokovic, it will not contribute to ATP ranking points or their official head-to head-record.
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As the Six Kings Slam is an exhibition tournament, rather than an officially sanctioned ATP tournament, none of the results count towards their rankings.
The primary motivation for the world's best players to feature in Saudi Arabia is financial.
Reports suggest they are receiving more than £1 million in appearance fees, with the additional prize money also being lucrative.
The winner is expected to earn up to $6 million (£4.5 million), which is significantly more than what players receive for winning a Grand Slam, despite the event lasting just three days.
By comparison, the US Open champion earns £3.8 million, the Australian Open comes in at £3.5 million, while Wimbledon and the French Open are £3 million and £2.2 million prize pots respectively.
When will Jannik Sinner face Carlos Alcaraz?
The Six Kings Slam final will be a repeat of last year's final, which Sinner won.
This year's final is scheduled for October 19, following the third-place match between Fritz and Djokovic, which will start at 17:30 BST.
Alcaraz and Sinner will follow the conclusion of that match, but not before 19:00 BST.
Fans around the world can also watch the action live, as the tournament is being streamed by Netflix at no additional cost.
Who will win the final?
Alcaraz and Sinner have become the two dominant forces in men's tennis, sharing all four Grand Slam titles between them this season.
The Spaniard currently leads their head-to-head record 10-5, with Sinner winning only once in their last eight matches, in this year's Wimbledon final.
Their most recent meeting was in the US Open final, where Alcaraz won an exciting four-set match.
Since then, Alcaraz won the Japan Open, before he withdrew from the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters due to an injury to his left ankle.
Sinner, meanwhile, lifted the China Open title before he retired with cramp from his second-round match in Shanghai.
Given that Alcaraz enjoyed an extended break and received an automatic bye to the semi-finals, he is expected to be the fresher player and slight favourite on Saturday.
Topics: Tennis, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Saudi Arabia
James Taylor