The tennis world never rests, and neither does Carlos Alcaraz. At just 22, the Spaniard has already established himself as one of the sport’s brightest stars, blending youthful exuberance with maturity beyond his years. Yet, even for a prodigy, the road is never free of scrutiny.

After winning the Japan Open last month despite playing with an ankle injury, Alcaraz withdrew from the Shanghai Masters, saying, “Unfortunately, I’ve been struggling with some physical issues, and after discussing with my team, we believe the best decision is to rest and recover.” But his decision to play at the lucrative Six Kings Slam (which offers a $6 million prize money to the champion) has sparked quite a lot of criticism. Recently, the world number one shut down criticism regarding top players’ participating in these exhibition events, as he suggested it is a bit illogical to compare the exhos with the main-level events.

Carlos Alcaraz has been one of the most vocal players when it comes to complaining about tight schedules. Last year, he even criticized the congested tennis calendar, saying “they are going to kill us in some way.” Hearing these complaints, in December 2024, the ATP chief, Andrea Gaudenzi, took a subtle jibe at these players by bringing up their decisions to take part in exhibitions outside the circuit. Then, recently, tennis legend Rennae Stubbs also shared her thoughts on this. She stated, “It’s hard to take them seriously when they say that the calendar must be lightened so that they can go and play exhibitions in the suburbs of Miami.” Addressing this debatable topic, Alcaraz recently shared his thoughts at the Six Kings Slam. He said, “I understand the criticism, but exhibitions are different from official tournaments: there you have to maintain a lot of concentration and physical effort for 15 or 16 days straight. Here we just have fun playing tennis for a day or two.”

According to him, these exhibition events are not really demanding mentally if compared with regular long events. For Alcaraz, the path forward is clear. Rather than letting criticism dictate his choices, he remains focused on his own growth, confident that every match-be it competitive or exhibition—adds a new layer to his game. 

This year, Carlos Alcaraz has been in red-hot form, winning 67 out of his 74 matches. Although he has already won 8 titles this year, including two major triumphs (the French Open and the US Open), his hunger for winning titles remains the same…

Carlos Alcaraz once again crosses paths with Jannik Sinner for a title decider

After Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s retirements, the tennis fans around the world have been searching for the next great rivalry—the kind that defines a generation and pushes the sport into new territory. Over the last couple of years, seeing the performances of both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, it seems that the search is now finally over. This year, they have met in five finals so far. Although Alcaraz managed to win four out of those matches, Sinner got the better of him at the Wimbledon final. Just like Alcaraz, even the Italian has won two major titles this year (AO and Wimbledon).

Who will win the upcoming title decider at the 2025 Six Kings Slam? Well, last year, Jannik Sinner got the better of the Spaniard in the final. But despite ending the match on a losing note, Carlos Alcaraz spoke about the importance of having Sinner around him in the Tour. “I want to say I’m grateful to have him around on tour. Thanks to him, I push myself to the limit. I give my 100% every day to be a better player. It’s a pleasure every time I share the court with him. Sometimes it’s tough to find the joy. But it’s great every time I face him,” Alcaraz said this after last year’s final.

This year, things have been a bit different for Carlitos, as he will be entering this tournament as the world number one. But despite all the successes he had this year, Alcaraz claims that the show is far from getting over. He recently took down America’s Taylor Fritz by a 6-4,6-2 margin in the SF of the Six Kings Slam. After this win, he admitted that he is currently going through the best stage of his career. “This is, without a doubt, the best moment of my career, but there’s still a better Carlos to come,” said the Spaniard.

Currently, he has a 10-5 edge over Sinner. Can he now get the better of him at the Six Kings Slam final? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.