Jannik Sinner defended his Six Kings Slam title in style, toppling world no. 1 Carlos Alcaraz 6-2, 6-4 in 73 minutes, taking home a golden racket and $6 million in prize money!
The Italian's serve proved untouchable throughout the contest, denying his rival a single break point and setting the tone for a one-sided affair in Riyadh. Tim Henman praised Sinner's precision and tactical brilliance behind the initial shot.
The Briton described it as the foundation of Jannik's dominant victory over his greatest rival. The defending champion took charge right from the start and controlled the match with pace, placement and variety.
Sinner managed to find corners with his initial shot and left Alcaraz struggling to respond following the San Candido's remarkable accuracy. Jannik mixed up his directions effectively.
He collected over 70% of the points in his games in the opening set with his booming serve alone. The Italianalternated between wide serves and pinpoint delivers down the T and into the rival's body.
Facing no pressure in his games, Sinner attacked on the return and provided three breaks from ten opportunities, controlling the scoreboard and earning a notable victory over world no. 1.
The performance brought the best from Jannik's arsenal, as he showcased composed and confident tennis blended with technical sharpness. Jannik has been working hard on serve improvements following the US Open final defeat to Carlos.
His initial shot shined in their Riyadh clash and secured a massive prize money and confidence ahead of the ATP Finals.
"Jannik delivered a perfect performance, right from the very first game of the match. It was a true lesson in serving. His ability to hit the corners with such speed, power, and precision left Carlos with no chance.
The latter was unable to assert himself in Jannik's service games, which put pressure on his own serve. We know that when you lose your serve, the match is practically over.
With the quality of returns these days, it's not enough to serve fast; you have to aim for the corners, and that's what Jannik did time and time again. His variations were excellent, whether he served wide or down the middle.
That serve is a real weapon. He was inches from the lines in both boxes. Carlos did not get a single break point, and it was difficult for him," Tim Henman said.
