(Sports news, tennis news) Despite his best efforts, Djokovic could not surprise Sinner and had to meet Nadal in the third place match of the Six Kings Slam tournament.
Djokovic makes Sinner panic, sets up final date with Nadal
The Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has just had dramatic semi-finals. While Novak Djokovic was defeated by Jannik Sinner 2-1, Rafael Nadal also lost to compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in 2 sets.
Thus, Sinner will face Alcaraz in the final (11pm on October 19) to compete for the championship and the prize money of 4.6 million pounds.
Djokovic will face Nadal in the 3rd place match of the Six Kings Slam
However, the world No. 1 admitted that he had moments of panic during his two-hour, 27-minute semi-final against Djokovic. “From the outside I looked calm, but inside I was a little panicked. It’s completely normal, because we just played the final in Shanghai. Both Djokovic and I felt tired, made a few mistakes but still managed to stay until the end,” Sinner said.
In addition to the final match between Sinner and Alcaraz, fans will also have the opportunity to witness the confrontation between Djokovic and Nadal in the third-place match at 9:30 p.m., October 19.
Nadal praises Alcaraz, ready for final tournament
As for Nadal, the “King of Clay” expressed his feelings after losing to Alcaraz: “I feel loved and supported all over the world. I am really lucky to have a long and successful career. I will have a training session on Friday and try to improve myself every day. The upcoming Davis Cup is the final challenge, so I want to prepare well for the tournament.”
Besides, Nadal did not forget to praise Alcaraz, and declared his readiness to support his junior if needed: “Carlos is too excellent. He has played very well in recent years and is improving day by day. I think I have a pretty good performance but it is not enough to face a monster like Alcaraz.
I think he’s on the right track with what he has. He’s constantly learning and we can see him growing in every aspect. Of course, I’ll always be available if he wants to call me.
Nadal also shared his first impression when meeting Alcaraz: “Everyone told me that there was a very good player coming. But it was not until I trained with him in Australia in 2021 that I had the opportunity to witness Carlos’ special ability. Even though he is very young, he shows qualities that you don’t see in others.”
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