Carlos Alcaraz dominates Taylor Fritz to reach second straight Six Kings Slam Final - Awaits for Sinner or Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the final of the Six Kings Slam for the second consecutive year after defeating Taylor Fritz in the semifinals. The Spaniard took the court for his third encounter with the American in a month: Fritz had won at the Laver Cup, while Alcaraz took the victory in the Tokyo Open final a few weeks prior.

Although the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh is an exhibition, the effort shown by each player has been absolute so far, and it was evident that this was more than just an exhibition for both of them. With an extra prize of $4.5 million for the champion, the match featured a high level of tennis from both players.

Fritz came into the match having defeated Alexander Zverev—once again—in the debut, after having won the last six official encounters they had. On the other side, Alcaraz started the tournament as a seeded player, so this was his first appearance on court since he won the Tokyo Open title, precisely by defeating Fritz in the final.

In official matches, the head-to-head is 4-1 in favor of Alcaraz. Fritz's only win came at the recent Laver Cup, where he secured a crucial victory for Team World's aspirations that ultimately tipped the balance in favor of his team. Alcaraz had already had his chance for revenge, defeating the American in straight sets in the Japan Open final.

The world No. 1 and No. 4 met again just 16 days after their last encounter in the Japan Open final. It was an even start, with both players holding serve without complications. The first break opportunity came in the fifth game for Alcaraz, who immediately took it and seized the lead. The Spaniard held onto the advantage for the rest of the set, and with notable serving, he ended up taking the first set 6-4. The 6-time major champion had conceded only four points on his serve and had taken the only break chance of the match so far.

In the second set, Fritz looked a bit more vulnerable on his serve, and opportunities came more frequently. Both players actually had to save break points against them throughout the set, but the parity did not last long. Alcaraz took control when he was down 1-2 and won the next five consecutive games. The world No. 1 closed out the win on his third match point with a notable 6-4, 6-2 final score and advanced to the tournament final. Alcaraz tallied 24 winners—more than double his opponent's 11—while committing only 7 unforced errors against Fritz's 14.

With this win, Alcaraz guarantees his spot in the Six Kings Slam final for the second consecutive year. Back in 2024, in the tournament's first edition, he defeated Rafael Nadal to advance to the final, where he faced Jannik Sinner. On that occasion, the Italian ended up taking the title—and the total prize of $6 million—in a three-set victory (6-7, 6-3, 6-3).

Alcaraz could meet Sinner again in this Saturday's final. The Italian world No. 2 comfortably won his debut against Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3. Sinner advanced to the semifinals, where Novak Djokovic awaits for a rematch that will be played later today, Thursday, October 16. The winner will face Alcaraz in Saturday's final, competing for the $4.5 million prize—which is in addition to the $1.5 million participation fee.