Final stop Alcaraz: Nadal misses the final

Rafael Nadal
picture alliance / abaca

Rafael Nadal missed the final of the Six Kings Slam show tournament in Saudi Arabia on his farewell tour. The 22-time Grand Slam winner, who will retire from tennis at the end of the year, lost to his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz 3:6, 3:6.

In the final, Alcaraz will face the Italian Jannik Sinner, who beat Olympic champion Novak Djokovic 6:2, 6:7 (0:7), 6:4. This means that the game for third place will at least be a duel between the two long-time rivals Nadal and Djokovic.

The stars of the industry are said to have received a rumored entry fee of $1.5 million for their participation in the invitational tournament. The winner’s prize is set at $6 million. It’s not about an official title or world ranking points.

Never before has a show tournament had such a high-quality cast and so well endowed as the Six Kings Slam, which also took place during the season of the professional organization ATP. This is only possible because there is no major compulsory ATP tournament during this period and there is a day’s break from competition. According to the ATP, unofficial events are not allowed to take place on three or more consecutive days.

Nadal recently announced his final retirement at the end of the season. Before his farewell at the Davis Cup final in mid-November, the 38-year-old should fulfill his role as Saudi Arabia’s tennis ambassador.