Sinner’s sweep over Djokovic reveals his past admiration for the superstar, but is it a problem that his idol pushed him out of a seeded spot?

Dubbed the "100% payday event," the Saudi Six Kings Tournament's off-court discussions seem to overshadow the exhibition matches themselves.

With Saudi backers spending extravagantly, all players competing receive a minimum of $1.5 million just for showing up, making this year's second exhibition highly notable.

Last year, Sinner and Alcaraz met in the final, where the Italian defeated the Spaniard to claim the title and pocket a massive $6 million prize, truly exemplifying a wealth phenomenon.

After increasing his Grand Slam titles to four this year, Sinner returned to this exhibition, sweeping Djokovic in the semifinals and facing Alcaraz in the final for the second time, reigniting voices defending him.

The controversy arises because world number one Alcaraz was designated one of the two seeds for the event, while world number two Sinner was not; instead, Djokovic, ranked below the Italian, was given the other seed. Many questioned whether the Saudi organizers intentionally favored the Serbian star by stripping Sinner of his rightful seed.

Although the Six Kings is an exhibition, the distinction between seeded and unseeded players is significant, as seeds receive a first-round bye, which brought unexpected attention to this issue.

In reality, Djokovic’s seeded status despite a lower ranking than Sinner is not due to favoritism by the Saudis but is based on clear reasoning.

Seeding at the Six Kings is determined not by current world rankings but by the number of Grand Slam titles held. Among the six players—Alcaraz, Sinner, Zverev, Fritz, Djokovic, and Tsitsipas—only the Spaniard, Italian, and Serbian have Grand Slam victories. Djokovic holds 24 majors, Alcaraz 6, so under this rule, Djokovic’s seeded status is fully justified.

Some say if Djokovic hadn’t participated this year, Sinner would have been the other seed, giving the Italian extra motivation to surpass Alcaraz in Grand Slam counts in future Six Kings events to secure a seed. Otherwise, as long as Djokovic plays, Sinner will remain a “third wheel,” hovering on the edge of seeded status.

Other fans jokingly remark that it was fortunate Sinner didn’t defend his US Open title this year. Had he won a second US Open and tied Alcaraz in Grand Slam counts, the tournament organizers would have faced a tricky dilemma deciding seeds, since Djokovic’s 24 majors clearly place him at the top, but deciding between two players each with five majors is much harder.

After Alcaraz failed to defend Wimbledon and then fought hard at the US Open, many now joke that he was striving to defeat Sinner and indirectly solve the Saudi Six Kings’ seeding headache.

When many were initially confused about the seeding rules and thought Sinner was unfairly overshadowed by Djokovic, once the system was understood, most agreed that among all players, the Italian had the least objection—beyond the rules, it was natural for the idol Djokovic to outrank Sinner.

Sinner has admired Djokovic since childhood. When interviewed in Saudi Arabia, a reporter mentioned this and showed a photo of the two together from years ago on a phone. Sinner was first surprised, then visibly excited.

Recalling that cherished memory, Sinner said he once learned Djokovic was training in Monaco and went to watch, waiting outside until he finally met his idol, resulting in the memorable photo. Back then, Sinner was just under 1.7 meters tall, reaching only to Djokovic’s neck.

“It’s an honor now to compete alongside Djokovic, and to have grown up to become his opponent—and even beat him—is quite surreal,” Sinner emphasized. Being reminded of this past instantly revives those wonderful memories, making it hard to believe he became Djokovic’s rival and victor.

In the Six Kings semifinal, Sinner swept Djokovic 6-4, 6-2, setting up another final against Alcaraz. Last year, Sinner defeated the Spaniard to claim $6 million; this time, whether he can again topple Alcaraz to continue his wealth legend or be avenged by the Spaniard remains the biggest storyline. (Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River’s Starry Sky)