Carlos Alcaraz has defended the profitable Six Kings Slam exhibition occasion as a reduction from the tour grind after beforehand saying he would take into account skipping ATP Tour occasions to prioritise his well being because of a crowded schedule.
The boys’s and girls’s circuits, which run throughout 11 months with prolonged codecs at a number of tournaments, have come underneath contemporary scrutiny throughout the “Asian swing”, the place excessive warmth and humidity contributed to a spate of accidents and withdrawals.
The Skilled Tennis Gamers’ Affiliation filed a lawsuit in opposition to the game’s governing our bodies in March, calling the scheduling scenario “unsustainable”.
After profitable the Tokyo title final month regardless of enjoying with an ankle damage, Alcaraz withdrew from the subsequent occasion in Shanghai, saying he wanted time to get better.
His determination to play within the profitable Six Kings Slam, which affords a reported $1.5m (£1.1m) in look cash with a winner’s cheque of $6m (£4.5m), has stoked loads of criticism from followers however he believes critics are huge of the mark.
“It’s a different format, different situation playing exhibitions than official tournaments, 15-16 days in row, having such a high focus and demanding physically,” six-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz mentioned.
“We’re simply having enjoyable for one or two days and enjoying some tennis, and that is nice, and why we select the exhibitions.
“I understand (the criticism), but sometimes people don’t understand us, our opinions,” Alcaraz added. “It’s not really demanding mentally (compared to) when we’re having such long events like two weeks or two and a half weeks.”
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Alcaraz was pissed off throughout the Tokyo ATP remaining and clashed with the umpire throughout a break
The exhibition occasion has additionally tempted final 12 months’s champion Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz and Stefanos Tsitsipas within the Riyadh exhibition occasion.
Zverev earned an eye-watering $431 (£320) for each second he spent on the courtroom for his 59-minute 6-4 6-3 defeat to Fritz than he did for ending runner-up on the Australian Open in January for his one match on the Six Kings Slam.
The US Open gives the most important prize fund at £3.8m, adopted by the Australian Open at £3.5m, Wimbledon at £3m and the French Open at £2.2m.
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Watch Carlos Alcaraz play 4 holes in forty seconds on the Open de Espana
Alcaraz, in the meantime, is again on acquainted sporting territory, having joined forces with Ryder Cup stars Jon Rahm and Shane Lowry on the Open de Espana Professional-Am final week.
Alcaraz is a really eager golfer, with the Spaniard hitting the fairways on his days off on the US Open.
“It was a great experience,” he mentioned. “I went to Madrid for a day to play with the professionals, to play with Jon and with Lowry. I try to make the most of my time while I’m taking some days off so it was great playing some golf with them.
“Studying from them actually intently, seeing myself that I’ve loads of issues that I’ve to enhance in golf. Seeing them hitting the ball, enjoying such a tremendous degree, I used to be impressed. Feeling an beginner, generally it is nice.”
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