Watch: Fit again Jannik Sinner arrives in Riyadh for Six Kings Slam event

Sinner had retired from the Shanghai Masters last week due to cramps and injury.

When Jannik Sinner is on the court, it’s always a thrill and a must-watch. After a frustrating and abrupt end to his Shanghai Masters 2025 campaign due to cramping, the Italian star is ready to bounce back at his next challenge in Riyadh.

The Six Kings Slam 2025 is taking place from October 15 at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While not an ATP event, it attracts the biggest names in tennis.

Sinner will be joined by some of the biggest names in tennis, including Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Taylor Fritz.

The World No.2 is coming in as the defending champion, after an incredible run at the inaugural Six Kings Slam in 2024. He beat Carlos Alcaraz in a three-set final, coming back from a set down to win 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3.

On his way to the final, Sinner also toppled the 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic 6-2, 6-7(0), 6-4 in semi-final, marking the second time in just four days that the young Italian had outplayed the Serbian legend, following his victory at the Shanghai Masters 2024.

Also Read: Tennis coach names 5 stars who can compete with Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner

This time, at the Chinese ATP 1000 event, the 24-year-old aiming to defend his title, crashed in the third round against Tallon Griekspoor, when severe cramping in his right thigh forced him to retire.

The score was 6-7(3), 7-5, 3-2 in Griekspoor’s favour when Sinner called it quits, struggling in the hot and humid conditions.

However, now fully recovered and ready to perform, the Italian star has already arrived in Riyadh for the event that feature a $13.5 million prize pool, with the winner taking home $6 million and the other players earning $1.5 million each.

Also Read: Out of this World! Novak Djokovic pulls off impossible point at Shanghai Masters 2025 [Watch Video]

Just like last year, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz received byes directly into the semi-finals. Despite being the defending champion and World No. 2, Jannik Sinner did not get a direct semi-final spot and thus he will have to battle against the Greek star Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

This is likely due to the tournament’s format, as the Six Kings Slam is not an ATP-sanctioned event and does not follow standard ranking-based seeding. Instead, the organizers awarded byes based on the number of Grand Slam titles each player has won.

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