The third edition of the Six Kings Slam will be held from October 21st to 24th on indoor hard courts in the Saudi Arabian capital. Each of the six participants is guaranteed $1.5 million, while the champion will earn an additional $4.5 million, taking the total prize to $6 million.
Sinner won the first two editions, beating Alcaraz in the final on both occasions, and has collected $12 million from his appearances in the competition. The two are again on opposite sides of the draw, meaning another meeting is only possible in the final.
Zverev starts against Fritz, Alcaraz awaiting
A champion at Roland Garros and the US Open this season, Zverev will face Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals. The German won the most recent meeting between the two, played on the grass at Wimbledon in July.
The winner of that match will face Alcaraz in the semi-finals. The Spaniard and Novak Djokovic enter at this stage, with the two spots awarded based on the number of Grand Slam titles won: the Serb has 24, while Alcaraz has seven.
The other quarter-final pits Sinner against Alex de Minaur. The head-to-head record is emphatically in the Italian's favour: 13 wins from 13 meetings, in which the Australian has taken just two sets. The winner will face Djokovic.
Sinner in draw, but comeback remains uncertain
The world No. 1's presence in Riyadh is still not certain. Sinner has not played since winning the Wimbledon title in July, while his knee problems forced him to miss the North American tournaments, including the US Open, as well as this week's China Open.
There are concerns that the Italian could be sidelined until the end of the season. However, the fact that he did not withdraw before the Six Kings Slam draw was made leaves the door open for a comeback at the exhibition tournament.
The quarter-finals are scheduled for October 21st, with the semi-finals set for October 22nd. After a day off, the third-place playoff and the final will be played on October 24th.
Six Kings Slam schedule
October 21st - quarter-finals: Alexander Zverev vs Taylor Fritz; Jannik Sinner vs Alex de Minaur
October 22nd - semi-finals: Zverev/Fritz vs Carlos Alcaraz; Sinner/De Minaur vs Novak Djokovic
October 24th: Third-place playoff and final