Coming off a mixed Asian swing, Taylor Fritz was eager to turn the page and take on his next challenge, but sadly, things didn’t go his way. Carlos Alcaraz, who’s had a stellar season with two Grand Slam titles and three Masters 1000 trophies, showed no signs of slowing down. The 22-year-old defended his decision to play the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after skipping last week’s Shanghai Masters due to an ankle injury. Alcaraz explained that the four-day exhibition wouldn’t put much strain on his body or mind, and he proved that with his performance.

On Thursday afternoon, Carlos Alcaraz put on a show against Taylor Fritz, adding another chapter to their growing rivalry. The World No. 1 rolled past the American 6-4, 6-2 in just 70 minutes, looking fresh, focused, and fired up. The win not only avenged his Laver Cup loss to Fritz but also booked his spot in the title clash against either Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic. Ultimately, after the match, the 22-year-old revealed how he managed to deliver such a flawless performance.

“12 out of 13, that’s great,” Carlos Alcaraz said with a grin after the win. “I just realized that I was winning all the drop shots I was making, so it kind of became a strategy. But at the beginning, it was like, OK, I just feel it. You’re like, oh, this is going pretty well today.” And it sure was. The World No. 1 was on fire, finishing the match with six aces, 30 winners, and only eight unforced errors. He dominated Taylor Fritz on both first and second serves, defended both break points, and kept the American under pressure throughout with his lethal mix of pace and touch, especially those drop shots.

In the end, “You go with the flow. So that’s what I did,” Alcaraz added. “I think Tokyo was kind of the same, so from the start I knew the drop shot was going to be a big weapon for me today.” The Spaniard was locked in from the first ball, winning 44% of his return points and converting three of five break opportunities to stay in full control of the scoreboard. Alcaraz also held serve comfortably five times in the opening set, keeping Fritz on the back foot and dictating play from the baseline with his variety and precision.

And by doing that, the World No. 1 broke serve in the fifth game and then held at 5-4 to close out the opening set, gaining an early edge. Although he missed a couple of break chances early in the second, Carlos Alcaraz quickly regrouped and broke again in games five and seven to build a commanding 5-2 lead.

Thus, serving for the match in game eight, he saved a break point with confidence before sealing victory on his third match point, a statement performance that booked his spot in the title match and reminded everyone why he’s the man to beat. And interestingly, with impressive precision, he managed to dismantle the very strategy Taylor Fritz had laid out to counter the Carlos Alcaraz challenge at the Six Kings Slam.

Carlos Alcaraz turns a tough test into a masterclass

Speaking after his win against Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz kept things real in his post-match interview. “It’s very physical, it’s tough. I know I have to be playing my absolute best with Carlos, and yeah, he makes you fight really hard just to keep up with the level that he’s playing,” Fritz admitted. That’s as honest as it gets. The American has faced Alcaraz enough times to know just how relentless the Spaniard can be, and he made no excuses heading into their next showdown.

The last time the two met, it was at the Japan Open final, and even with an ankle injury, World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz got the job done in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. But back on court at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, Fritz came in sharp and confident. He fired eight aces, nailed his first serves, and saved all three break points he faced in his only tense service game. Across the net, Alexander Zverev looked out of rhythm after his early Shanghai exit. Despite serving at 82%, he couldn’t convert under pressure, dropping serve once per set to fall short against the composed American.

Facing Carlos Alcaraz next, Taylor Fritz knew it was going to be a whole different level of challenge, and he was right. Ultimately, the 22-year-old Spaniard proved too good once again, battling through and walking away with the $1.5 million winner’s share from the massive $13.5 million prize pool.

That said, do you think Taylor Fritz could ever find the right strategy to consistently challenge Carlos Alcaraz’s all-court dominance? And most importantly, has Alcaraz already cemented himself as the next great era-defining player in men’s tennis, or does he still have more to prove?