Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, who is currently ranked No. 2 in the world, revealed that the unprecedented prize money at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia earlier this month was a key factor in his decision to participate. During a press conference on Monday, Alcaraz reflected on his time at the exhibition event in Riyadh, where he earned $1.5 million in just four days.
Although Alcaraz emphasized that his passion for tennis usually takes precedence over financial incentives, he recognized the appeal of the prize money. “I enjoy playing tennis. Most of the time, I don’t focus on the money; I play out of passion or for enjoyment,” Alcaraz told reporters. “However, it’s important to be realistic. You have to consider that you want to earn money, and this tournament in Arabia offers the highest prize money ever in history, so that was a strong motivation for me at least.”
In contrast, Italian competitor and top-ten player Jannik Sinner noted that financial gains were not his primary reason for participating in Saudi Arabia. Instead, Sinner viewed the event as a chance to compete against high-quality opponents.
Alcaraz, who secured titles at both the French Open and Wimbledon this year, is currently getting ready to face Chilean Nicolas Jarry in his first match at the Paris Masters. Reflecting on his past performances in Paris, Alcaraz acknowledged that the year-end tournament has been challenging for him. “I haven’t performed well in this tournament,” he said. “Probably by the end of the year, I am fatigued, or, as I mentioned last year, I had to realize that the season continues past September.”
As the Paris Masters progresses, the top seeds will kick off their tournaments on Tuesday. In Monday’s early matches, Greek 10th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas came from behind to win against Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena with scores of 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, while France’s Adrian Mannarino surprised American 11th seed Tommy Paul, beating him 6-3, 7-5.
The Paris Masters will run until November 3, representing one of the last major competitions of the season before players take a short break ahead of the demanding schedule for the following year.
Meanwhile, in a surprising development, World No. 1 tennis player Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the Paris Masters in the French capital. The top-ranked Italian disclosed that he was suffering from a virus and was feeling ill during practice, prompting a visit to the doctor. However, Sinner is determined to return stronger and is now focusing on the upcoming tournament in Turin.
Sinner, who has claimed a Tour-high seven titles in 2024, will not be competing in his fourth tournament in the French capital. Earlier this month, the Italian secured his position at the top of the ATP world rankings, with only two players in history achieving this feat at a faster pace. He is the second notable player to withdraw from the final Masters 1000 event of the year, joining seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.
It’s a very tough announcement. I’m not going to play here in Paris. We came here very early to prepare in the best possible way. After the first practice session, I didn’t feel good. I also talked with the doctor on Sunday. It’s a virus that makes you feel better in three or four days. Today I feel better already a little bit, but my body is not ready to compete and I still feel very, very weak, Sinner posted on Instagram.
It doesn’t make sense to go on the court and try to compete in this tournament. I am very disappointed because it’s a tournament where I would like to see where my level is at. That was one of my main goals for this week. But unfortunately, I cannot make this happen, he added.
