Defending champion Jannik Sinner is back in the Six Kings Slam final following a 6-4, 6-2 rout of Novak Djokovic on Thursday.
“It’s never nice when somebody kicks your ass like this,” Djokovic joked during his on-court interview. “I’m sorry you couldn’t see a longer match today–it’s his fault, not my fault…. Look, it felt like a runaway train; he was smacking the ball from all corners. I was just trying to, trying to hang in there, but he was just too good.”
“It’s amazing what he has achieved in his career,” Sinner praised of the 38-year-old Serb. “It’s incredible, and I see him as a real idol. To play against him is such a huge honor and and privilege. So, obviously I’m happy about today–but I’m also happy to see him around.”
The second-ranked Italian will see a familiar face on the other side of the net in Saturday’s championship tilt. It will be a rematch of the 2024 Six Kings Slam final against Carlos Alcaraz, in which Sinner triumphed 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3.
Alcaraz booked his spot in a second straight final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by beating Taylor Fritz via the exact same 6-4, 6-2 scoreline earlier on Thursday.
“I pulled off great, great shots today, great points,” the top-ranked Spaniard assessed. “This was one of my main goals coming into this match, trying to pull off great shots, great points for the people, trying to entertain them. I think that’s why we are here–just to make the people happy. I think they liked it, so I’m just really happy about it.”
nice one, Fox