Tennis fans in Saudi Arabia will get their money’s worth on Saturday. It is finals day at the Six Kings Slam, with two absolute blockbusters on schedule. First, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will play for a third-place finish in this exhibition. Then, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will battle for the largest prize money in tennis history, reported to be a whopping $6 million paycheck.
Six Kings Slam Final Prediction
Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal (3rd place match)
Head-to-head: Djokovic 31-29 Nadal
On Thursday, we got an indication that the new stars have fully taken over men’s tennis. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are two of the greatest to ever step foot on the court, and ruled the roost for two decades. But now they must now settle for a third-place finish in this exhibition. Victory won’t count in the official head-to-head, but Djokovic claimed their much-anticipated 60th meeting at the Olympics.
The Serbian is coming off a brutal three-set match against Jannik Sinner, which took a lot out of him mentally and physically. He required treatment on his shoulder multiple times during the match. He didn’t lack a cutting edge, but he was clearly beaten by a fitter player during the day. Nadal, by contrast, looked sluggish, and his moment wasn’t awe-inspiring. That’s understandable, considering he hasn’t played a lot of tennis this year. It is unlikely to be a classic, especially wghen compared to their previous battles, but it would be a real surprise were Djokovic not to come out on top.
Prediction: Djokovic in 2
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Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz (Grand Final)
Head-to-head: Alcaraz 6-4 Sinner
For the first time in this rivalry, one player is threatening to set the pace. That is Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated his closest rival, Jannik Sinner, in their last three meetings. And crucially, he won their most recent final in Beijing in a third-set tie-break.
The Spaniard plays at full throttle with an explosion of forehand power, which is a strategy that works so well on this surface and in these conditions. Sinner will likely struggle to dictate points from the baseline as fatigue has started to creep into his game (he has played ten matches in October). That was evident in the second set against Djokovic, and he was candid during his post-match interview. Alcaraz enters this match with fresher legs, and knowing that he’s cracked Sinner’s code in all their meetings this season gives him a massive psychological advantage in this final.
Prediction: Alcaraz in 3
Main photo credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
