Top ranked tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, who is in action at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia, stated that the nature of the friendly events help players relax amid the challenges of the ATP Tour. Alcaraz had earlier said that he would consider skipping ATP Tour events to prioritise his health due to a packed schedule.
“It’s a different format, different situation playing exhibitions than official tournaments, 15-16 days in row, having such a high focus and demanding physically,” Alcaraz explained.
“We’re just having fun for one or two days and playing some tennis, and that’s great, and why we choose the exhibitions,” he revealed.
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His decision
to compete in the Six Kings Slam, which reportedly offers $1.5 million in appearance money and a winner’s cheque of $6 million, drew significant criticism from fans.
“I understand the criticism, but sometimes people don’t understand us, our opinions,” Alcaraz added.
“It’s not really demanding mentally compared to when we’re having such long events like two weeks or two and a half weeks,” the Spaniard added.
Alcaraz received a bye to the semifinal of the event and is set to clash against Taylor Fritz as the Spaniard continues to recover from an ankle injury, which he admitted has improved significantly, but isn’t back to full fitness.
“I don’t feel 100% and the doubts are there when I’m moving on court, but it has improved a lot and I’m going to compete and perform well in the Six Kings Slam,” he said.
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The men’s and women’s tennis circuits, spanning 11 months with extended formats at several tournaments, have faced renewed scrutiny during the Asian swing due to extreme heat and humidity, which have led to numerous injuries and withdrawals.
In March, the Professional Tennis Players’ Association filed a lawsuit against the sport’s governing bodies, deeming the scheduling situation unsustainable.
Last month, Alcaraz won the Tokyo title despite playing with an ankle injury, but then withdrew from the next event in Shanghai, citing the need for recovery.
Holder Jannik Sinner is also participating in the Riyadh exhibition event following his early exit from Shanghai due to cramp.
