The promised show in Riyadh could barely last for 72 minutes, which took Carlos Alcaraz in passing over Holger Rune (6-4, 6-2) to meet with Rafa Nadal in the semifinals of the Six Kings Slam. The controversial Saudi exhibition tournament, with its exorbitant prize pool but outside the orbit of the ATP, will host the last duel between the two great giants of Spanish tennis. At the moment, Nadal leads 2-1 head-to-head, although Alcaraz starts on Thursday (not before 8:00 p.m.) as a favorite to equal the record.
“I have watched Rafa’s matches since I started playing and I pay attention to him. I have grown up with him and he has been my idol. He still is. It is a shame that he retires from tennis. He is an important person in my life and my race,” said Alcaraz after his victory. “He was one of the reasons why I wanted to be a tennis player. That he is retiring now is hard for everyone,” added the number two in the ATP ranking.
Alcaraz’s dominance over the weakened Rune, who throughout 2024 could only compete in the Brisbane final, was materialized through the whip of his drive. After an even start, the recent champion in Beijing began to dominate from the bottom to achieve the break with which he would take the first set.
Sinner, against Djokovic
From then on, the Dane could do nothing against the overflowing torrent of Alcaraz. His dominance from all angles of the court was unapproachable for the only tennis player in the tournament who has not yet won a major.
It was a disappointing outcome for the Saudi fans, who had also found no room for emotion during the opening match, where Jannik Sinner swept off the map Daniil Medvedev (6-0, 6-3). In this way, the Italian will be measured in the other semifinal against Novak Djokovicwho arrives in Saudi Arabia after losing his last four matches against the last Wimbledon and US Open champion.