[Prakash] Majestic Riyadh, the capital
of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The scene for the tennis world's elite
to assert their dominance
over their rivals
-and secure their treasure chest.
-[tense music playing]
[Prakash] But things can get deceptive
in the b*ttlefield of the desert.
Who will have clear vision
and who will be seeing the mirage?
-[music concludes]
-[intriguing music playing]
[music concludes]
-[tense music playing]
-[Prakash] Last night here in Riyadh,
the first of the contenders
began their quest
to be crowned
as the Six Kings Slam Champion.
Jannik Sinner made an impressive
and emphatic start
to his defense of his title
when he dispatched Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Before him,
world number four, Taylor Fritz,
defeated world number three,
Alexander Zverev,
as both men made their Six Kings debut.
Tonight, two familiar faces return.
Novak Djokovic,
the 24-time Grand Slam Champion,
bids to dethrone Jannik Sinner.
Carlos Alcaraz, the world number one,
takes on Taylor Fritz
as all four men look for a place
in Saturday's Showpiece Showdown.
-[music concludes]
-["One Kiss" playing]
[Prakash] Inside beautiful ANB Arena
in the midst of Riyadh Season
here in the Kingdom.
The lights, the colors,
the sounds were absolutely electric
last night here in Riyadh.
And tonight might just prove
to be even better.
In today's tennis world,
there is one king that is above
the rest in the history books.
But the last couple of years,
two young warriors
have been ascending to the throne,
while the rest of the hungriest
competitors are lying in wait,
waiting for their chance at the crown.
Here tonight, we will see them
all do battle here in the desert.
I'm Prakash Amritraj, and this is day two
of the Six Kings Slam, live on Netflix.
Joining me once again,
six-time Grand Slam semi-finalist,
former Grand Slam dubs Champion,
Tim Henman, Feliciano Lopez.
Gents, you guys look like a couple
of kings here, I must say.
-[laughs] I like that.
-How are you feeling?
We were born ready. You know that.
Well, it was a spectacular day one.
We enjoyed covering it, of course.
But were you surprised at all
by the high level of play
from these players
who just stepped on the court?
No, they were brilliant.
And I think
it was two very clinical performances.
We saw Taylor Fritz
go out there against Zverev.
He's had the upper hand
the last few times they played
and gave Zverev no chance,
really. Straight sets.
And likewise with Sinner, his record
against Tsitsipas was not so good,
but he went out there, continued the form
that he showed really all the year
and put on a ball-striking masterclass.
[Prakash] Feli,
we take a look at the results there.
They were both straight-set efforts
from Jannik Sinner, from Taylor Fritz.
Do you feel they have even a level higher
to be able to go?
[Feliciano] Well,
I think it's fair to say that yesterday
we had a great day one of tennis,
but today, I think the bar is set,
you know, higher than ever.
And honestly, guys,
I can't wait to see the Kings fighting
for the crown tonight.
[Prakash] Well, it's going
to be a magnificent order of play.
Both those players,
Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner,
moving into the semifinals today.
First up will be Carlos Alcaraz
taking on Taylor Fritz.
Rematch, they've played each other
just a couple of times recently
at the Laver Cup
and in the finals in Tokyo.
And following that will be Jannik Sinner
taking on Novak Djokovic.
Let's talk about that second match.
It gives you goosebumps just getting ready
for both these matches.
Tim, they've played quite a bit
as of late, and it's been Jannik Sinner
who's had the best
of the 24-time Grand Slam Champ.
[Tim] Yeah, absolutely.
You include their match here
and Sinner's won the last six.
The occasion
where Djokovic got the upper hand
was in the Tour Finals in 2023 in Turin.
Turin is a little bit similar.
There's altitude, the ball is, you know,
flying through the court very quickly.
On that occasion,
Djokovic was able to play so flat,
so aggressive, no unforced errors,
produced one of the best performances
I've seen in a long time.
And it's going to take that type
of tennis for him to come out on top
because Sinner is so good on hard courts.
But I think Djokovic can come in fresh.
He hasn't had to play five
or six matches to get to this stage,
so it's going
to be a fascinating matchup.
Well, it's an interesting one
to watch patterns-wise.
A lot of people say Sinner
-is sort of Djokovic 2.0 in many ways.
-[laughs]
You see a lot
of similarities in their game.
I see a lot of similarities
in their games, of course.
He's very consistent
from the back of the court.
I think we're going
to see a lot of great rallies, you know,
because they hit the ball so hard.
They, you know, they…
I think one of them has to be
way more aggressive than the other one
because, you know, normally it's tough
when you play someone
who's hitting the ball that hard
from the back of the court.
So, I'm very keen to see that match.
I'm really curious of what Djokovic
is able to bring tonight.
Well, they played a classic here last year
in three sets,
but before we get to that one,
we have an absolute cr*cker
in the opening match.
It'll be the Roland-Garros Champ
and US Open Champ
taking on the number-one
American in the world.
-[song concludes]
-[soft music playing]
[Alcaraz] I'm really grateful to be part
of the Six Kings Slam once again.
It's unique.
It's great that tennis
is being part of the Riyadh Season.
It is amazing to feel the energy
and the love from the people
that we are not used to.
[Fritz] It's really cool
to be a part of it.
It's great to be here and…
have the chance to compete against
the five other best players in the world
and be a part of the season.
[Alcaraz] I'm feeling great.
Obviously, I think everybody knows
that I've been struggling a little bit,
you know, the last week
and a half, two weeks,
but I've been recovering
really good at home.
So, right now, I'm coming great.
[Fritz] Recently,
I feel like I'm playing pretty well,
pretty much just
the whole second half of the year,
and then in Tokyo as well,
I was playing Laver Cup, Tokyo,
I was playing good tennis,
so I'm pretty happy
with where my game's at right now.
Yeah, I mean, incredible,
incredible player. He's amazing.
When you get him on some of his best days,
then it's very tough to beat him.
He has so much variety in his game,
but, you know, I played a very good match
against him in Laver Cup,
and I thought I played a very solid match
against him as well in Tokyo.
I feel like I've…
gotten closer than the last couple
of times than maybe I've felt before.
[Alcaraz] He's really tough.
His shots are really powerful.
He's really smart, so, as well, playing.
So, it's always a really difficult
matchup against him.
So, I like playing against him.
I like having those battles against him.
But, you know, at the same time,
sometimes it's a nightmare.
[Fritz] Against Carlos, I mean,
there's certain things
that you absolutely have to do,
-which is serve well, return well.
-[crowd cheering]
And, you know, from the baseline,
I have to be very aggressive.
I have to take my chances,
and be aggressive,
and take risks
without making too many mistakes.
-[interviewer] Do you want to be king?
-Yes, absolutely. That's why I'm here.
[chuckles] Yeah, of course, of course.
That's why I came here.
[music concludes]
Man, electricity in the air
listening to those two.
We welcome our other member of our team,
Olympic silver medalist,
Laura Robson,
who looks very ready for semifinal day.
How could I not be ready
with the lineup that we've got?
I thought we're doing jackets today.
Maybe you're saving it for the final,
but we're ready.
I'm on the same page with you, Laura.
-We're good to go.
-That's all right.
-We'll stick together, Feli. [chuckles]
-Okay.
You know, you guys
would have made a good doubles team.
Okay, now I'm getting off track here.
Taylor Fritz, he's had a win
over Carlos Alcaraz as of recent,
but I want to talk
about the mental state that Taylor's in.
He's been wearing the number one American
on his shoulders for quite some time,
and I feel like he's ready
to make another jump, Tim.
Yeah, most definitely. And I think
he really does deliver
in those biggest events.
And when you reflect on how Alcaraz
and Sinner have separated
themselves from the rest,
I feel like Fritz is the next guy
really to try and close that gap.
You put him in these types
of conditions on a hard court,
he has the weapons.
And I think he summed it up
pretty well himself.
He said, "I got to serve well."
"I got to hit the ball aggressively
from the back."
-"I've got to move well."
-[Prakash] "I've got to do it all!"
[Tim chuckling] Exactly.
So, that's what we hope we see tonight.
[Prakash] Feli, I know
you've spent a lot of time with Carlos
as he's been progressing through the years
into this crazy superstar that he is now.
But you feel at this young age,
he's already started
to transcend the sport.
I think, yeah, he certainly started
to be a global icon, you know,
and I think mainly because of the way
he plays, with a lot of variation.
I think nowadays, most of the players,
they play the same style, and he's
bringing always something different.
And also because his attitude
on court, he's always,
you know, putting a smile to everyone.
And I think that's what makes him,
you know, very special.
And that's why everybody wants
to be watching Carlos all the time.
[Prakash] Laura, let's talk
about the mental edge
that Taylor might have,
having gotten over the line.
Yes, he is down head-to-head, four-one,
but getting over the line
with a win over Carlos
has got to make you feel pretty good,
even though he did just lose
their recent final meeting in Tokyo.
Yeah, I think the fact that you play
each other twice in a month,
it just gives you
more options to work with.
When you're trying to build a game plan,
you know what you did well
in the match
that he came through at Laver Cup.
But then knowing that he was close
at times in the final in Tokyo,
but just on a faster surface,
felt like he was
under a lot more pressure.
-[Prakash] Yeah.
-But I think, you know,
as Tim said,
he knows he has to play lights-out today.
-[laughs]
-He has to do everything well.
And that starts with the mental attitude.
So, we saw him start
really fast yesterday against Zverev.
And I imagine that he knows he's going
to have to do a good warm-up
behind the scenes, come out here firing.
Well, we were sitting courtside
watching that match
against Zverev yesterday,
and you were quite impressed
with a few of the things
that he did well there.
Can you point out maybe a key shot
that might be valuable in today's match?
Well, we saw a stunning couple
of backhands from Taylor Fritz,
especially using
the down-the-line shot really well.
And when you look
at how much he went down the line,
it wasn't too often, only 15 percent.
But every time he did go for that one,
he won the point.
So, it just goes to show
that when he's got that ability
to be the first one to dictate the rally
and to cut the angle off,
take the time away from his opponent,
it's going to be tough
against the best mover in the men's game,
but at least he knows that,
you know, that's the sort of chances
he has to take out there
and just go for it.
[Prakash] These top players, Tim,
when it comes to pulling the trigger,
as Laura's talking about,
you really have to pick
and choose your moments so well
because you don't get
very many opportunities.
Is it a by-the-number situation,
or is it a bit more of a feel thing?
[Tim] Yeah, look, I think
there's definitely that strategy
that Laura's talked about,
but these guys are so good,
they're so confident,
and they back themselves.
They want to be
the one playing the offensive tennis.
They want to be proactive.
They want to try and get their opponent
on the back foot.
And at times you've got to take risks.
And I think
that's where having that freedom
that… Fritz is the underdog.
He's got to go out there,
and let it fly, and take some risks.
And if he can do that,
he's definitely got a chance.
All right, let's get ready.
We're moments away.
What did we say yesterday?
Did all three of you guys go with Carlos?
-I played it really safe, yeah.
-[chuckles]
Okay, so I'm the lone wolf here.
I'm going with the upset.
I said that, and I really mean it.
-Okay, okay. [laughs]
-I'm the only one.
All right, we got three-one over here,
but I think the upset can be done.
Both these guys, though,
they have come ready to play.
[thrilling music playing]
Carlos Alcaraz.
Taylor Fritz.
[Alcaraz] World number one.
[Fritz] World number four.
[Alcaraz] US Open Champion.
The highest ranked American.
-[dramatic music playing]
-[Alcaraz] Eight titles this year.
[Fritz] Ten career titles.
-[Alcaraz] Six Grand Slams.
-[Fritz] Laver Cup winner.
[both] I want to be king.
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen,
the best players in the world
are in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
It's the Six Kings Slam,
a great arena
for these legendary competitors.
Six kings, yes, but only one crown.
[dramatic music playing]
[crowd clapping rhythmically]
-[clapping quickens]
-[crowd cheering]
[clapping hastens]
[dramatic orchestral music playing]
[electrical current buzzing]
[electricity crackling]
[Riyadh Season logo whirring]
[cards shuffling]
[lightning cracks]
[music crescendos]
[music concludes]
[crowd cheering, applauding]
["Levels" playing]
[announcer] The players are ready,
ladies and gentlemen.
Introducing a 27-year-old Californian
who has risen to number one
in the United States.
He is a Grand Slam finalist.
He is the world number four.
-Please welcome to Riyadh, Taylor Fritz.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
["CAFé CON RON" playing]
[announcer] And from Spain,
a 22-year-old
who has thrilled the world of tennis
and the wider world of sport
and climbed
to the top of the world ranking.
He's already won two French Opens,
two Wimbledons and two Australian Opens.
The youngest ever male world number one,
-Carlos Alcaraz.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Prakash] Both the players look keyed up,
and ready to go.
Certainly that win
that Taylor had over Carlos
at the Laver Cup will be in his mind.
He's gonna try to channel
every ounce of that…
as he gears up for a good start here.
Tim, any intimidation factor?
Carlos, he got the sleeves off.
[Tim] Yeah, he's got the sleeves off,
he got the g*ns out,
but you can just feel the electricity,
the intensity, the atmosphere
is at a different level,
and I think both players
will recognize that,
they'll be ready to get out there,
and start firing.
[announcer] And joining us
for the coin toss, IShowSpeed,
-welcome to Riyadh!
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
[chair umpire] Have you met Carlos?
[Alcaraz] How you doing, man?
Nice to meet you, man. Pleasure.
Okay, we have live ELC and video review.
Okay, any questions?
For the towels, can you take the ones
with the green tape?
Green tape for the towels,
no tape for the towels.
Okay, who's gonna call it?
Taylor or Carlos?
-I want you to call it.
-Carlos calls it? Okay, you spin the coin.
-I just flip it?
-Okay, just flip it as high as you can.
-[Alcaraz] Go ahead.
-You heads?
-I am heads.
-Okay, you can do what you want.
-Okay, what is it?
-Heads.
-Heads?
-Yeah, that's heads, right?
-Yeah, you tell me. Heads? Okay.
-Heads.
[laughs] I receive.
Okay, we have some photos.
You receive, you stay.
Okay, some photos. Looking that way.
-[Alcaraz] That way?
-Yeah.
-You go in the middle, Speed.
-[IShowSpeed] Yeah.
[chair umpire] Okay, now, without Speed,
just the players now?
Yep, thanks. [laughs]
-Do you wanna keep the coin?
-[IShowSpeed] I do wanna keep the coin.
[chair umpire] Okay, you're welcome.
[Prakash] Okay, pertinent questions first.
Laura, if IShowSpeed
and Tim Henman got down
in a fulls-on sprint,
do you think Tim could take him out?
-[Tim laughs]
-[Laura] Somehow I think it's unlikely.
-[Prakash] That's not nice. He's your boy.
-[Laura] Hard to believe.
Can Tim even get up
from a sprint position?
I just don't know these days.
[Prakash] So cool to have IShowSpeed here
doing the coin toss.
Well, this is what it comes down to.
Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz
in the semifinals
looking for a place in the finals.
Carlos Alcaraz was
in the finals last year,
barely lost out to Jannik Sinner,
but as Taylor said,
he wants to be king this year.
Getting a good look
at Carlos Alcaraz there.
Tim, we had a chance
to see him warm up very up close.
Seems like he was right off the bat,
striking the ball very well timing-wise.
[Tim] Yeah, absolutely.
And I think a lot of that
comes around to footwork.
When you see him moving,
you see the energy,
the spring in his step,
the athletic ability.
It's just amazing how well he moves
around the court at a young age.
And obviously, when your footwork is good,
you're getting into position,
and then this gives him the opportunity
to then, you know, show his skills
from the back of the court.
So, yeah, he's looking in great shape.
He's looking fresh
and ready and raring to go.
[Prakash] I love talking
to other players about Carlos.
It seems like he's, as they say,
your favorite player's favorite player.
He really has the admiration
of all his peers.
Laura, mentally, what do you think
is the most special thing
about this kid's energy,
his sort of way he goes about everything?
[Laura] For me,
I just find it the most impressive
that he enjoys
the tightest moment of a match.
We often see him,
you know, five-all, deuce,
and he's smiling,
and he can't wait to play the next point.
And I hope he never loses that enjoyment.
We haven't seen him lose that enjoyment,
which is the best part,
because sometimes with a lot of players,
when they start to win a lot,
when they, you know, get used to the tour,
they lose that fun,
and it's just never left him.
So, yeah,
I think we're gonna see the best of him
when he's down breakpoint,
as we always do.
That's the best part.
I'll tell you what,
it's contagious in those big moments
to see that smile,
kind of rubs off on all of us.
Taking a good look at Taylor Fritz now,
who… his career has been improving
each and every year,
won that 1000-level title
in Indian Wells not too long ago,
finals of a US Open.
What do you feel
the next step is for him, Tim?
[Tim] Yeah, I think he works
with Paul Annacone and Mike Russell.
Paul Annacone was an old coach of mine.
And I think it's just trying
to bring that extra string to his bow.
He's so efficient on serve,
and at the back of the court,
forehand and backhand,
but trying to, you know,
finish a few points at the net
when he's so aggressive
from those ground strokes.
You know, he's brought in
the drop shot a little bit,
which I think, again,
is good to get the opponents
moving forwards and backwards,
not just side to side.
So, I think he's one of these players
that's always looking to improve.
That has been reflected in his results,
and as I said earlier,
I think he's the one
that's most likely to close the gap
-between the top two.
-Laura, it's interesting.
Carlos, we've seen him have
just the craziest highs,
but he can go through
a little bit of a spate
where he does make
a bunch of unforced errors.
Do you think Taylor has to find
that balance of being a little consistent,
or do you think
he's just gotta pull the trigger
on that backhand down the line,
and stay aggressive today?
I think he has to go all-out.
I mean, it's best of three.
It's a different scenario
than the best of five at a Slam.
You've gotta take your chances
when you have them,
when you're inside the baseline.
Just rip it. Why not?
I mean,
that's his opponent's philosophy as well.
So, it's about
who's gonna do it better tonight.
[Prakash] I like it. And Tim, I think
the net approaches today for Taylor,
is that gonna be a big factor?
Does he have to keep it above average?
-[Tim] Yeah, I think, again, as Laura--
-[Laura] I wish we saw it more.
[Tim] Yeah, as Laura has alluded to,
you know, if he's just sort of too passive
from the back of the court,
and he's too predictable,
then that plays
into the rhythm of Alcaraz.
It is all about taking
those sort of educated guesses,
-controlled risk, and to--
-[Prakash] Oh, Laura!
[Tim] You know,
Laura nearly dropped one there
at the side of the court,
getting hit by one of Fritz's serves.
But no, he's got to be proactive,
take it on,
take the bull by the horns, and…
I didn't realize I was in
the firing zone down here.
Yeah. And see what he can do.
Okay, and now, we've gotta give
both these guys an edge
one way or another.
Who has the edge on the golf course?
'Cause they both play a lot of golf.
Tim, I know you are one
of the better tennis players out there.
Who are we giving it to?
[Tim] Yeah, no, I've played with Alcaraz,
and he hits it incredibly far,
not always in the right direction,
but I've never seen Taylor play.
But yeah, they both,
I'm sure, strike it well.
[Prakash] Well, they're talented
on the court.
They're talented off the court.
They got a whole lot of fans
all across the globe.
Absolutely cannot wait for this one.
Let's head up to our booth now
where we have Mark Petchey,
Feliciano Lopez with the call.
-[chair umpire] And the warm-up.
-[Mark] Thanks, Prakash.
Yep, tennis evenings
just don't get any bigger than this.
The best four male players on the planet
go head-to-head
for the chance
to be coronated on Saturday.
Netflix's mission statement is,
"To entertain the world,"
and you can argue
that's the same one Alcaraz has,
because ever since the Spanish supernova
exploded into the tennis universe,
that is exactly what he has done.
But for Fritz,
the mission tonight is not impossible
after the performance he put in
by beating Alcaraz in the Laver Cup.
It's given him confidence,
it's given him belief,
something you need
against the world's best player.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] A spectacular evening here
in Saudi Arabia.
[chair umpire] Play.
[line umpire] Fault!
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
-[chair umpire] Love-15.
[Mark] Feliciano up in the commentary box.
He has just dropped his calling card.
-[Feliciano laughs]
-[Mark] How good was that?
[Feliciano] What a start
of the match, huh?
Winner of the return down the line.
-[chair umpire] Let. Serve.
-[Feliciano] Strong statement from Carlos.
-[line umpire] Out!
-[crowd applauding]
[Mark] He's gonna have to weave his serve
all around the service box tonight,
isn't he, Fritz?
Yesterday, we saw a really sort of strong,
heavy diet of serves
through the T on the deuce side.
If he gets too predictable,
Carlos will pick him off.
[Feliciano] Yeah.
He's very good also at guessing, Carlos.
[line umpire] Out!
[Feliciano] So, he has
to be very precise tonight, Fritz…
-[chair umpire] Thirty-15.
-…if he wants to…
get some free points under his belt.
-[line umpire] Out!
-[crowd applauding]
[chair umpire] Forty-15.
[Mark] Fritz's first serve
has been so potent this year.
[line umpire] Fault!
-Fault!
-[chair umpire] Forty-30.
[Mark] And maybe just a double fault
contributed to the…
because of the quality of the return
from Alcaraz off that opening point.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[chair umpire] Deuce.
[Mark] It's gonna be
an important shot tonight,
the backhand down the line
in both the two matches that we have.
Alcaraz scoring nicely there.
[chair umpire] Advantage, Fritz.
[Mark] As does Taylor
with the big first serve.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Feliciano] Take me out
of trouble, Mr. Serve, please.
-[laughs]
-[Tim laughs]
Certainly does.
[Feliciano] He's gonna need
some of those tonight.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
-[chair umpire] Game, Fritz.
[Mark] And it's not about
the aces for Taylor.
-It's the number of unreturned serves.
-[chair umpire] First game.
[Mark] Forty-six percent this season
have not come back into play.
That certainly makes things
a little bit easier
as we take you back to yesterday,
and the quality of the serving
from the American number one.
And as you can see,
a pretty steady diet on that deuce side
through the T against Zverev.
But when he did go wide,
it was incredibly accurate.
And I can tell you
he won a few more points than that
when he made it in there.
But only Mpetshi Perricard and Mensik
are the two players
that are better than Fritz
in terms of getting three points
behind their serve.
And he has had that one match in Laver Cup
where he wasn't broken.
Alcaraz has always dropped his serve
at least once against Fritz
in their previous meetings.
-[chair umpire] Carlos Alcaraz to serve.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
-[Feliciano laughs]
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] Unbelievable.
One of the best shots in tennis.
-[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
-[Feliciano] Unbelievable, Mark.
That forehand on the run, it's…
it's amazing. The way…
he's well balanced on the run, huh?
How coordinated he is to get to that ball,
and hit that unbelievable shot.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Feliciano] I think his movement
-is what probably interests me the most.
-[chair umpire] Thirty-love.
[Feliciano] I think we all agree
that he has everything,
but his movement on the court
is out of this world.
[Mark] Interesting. You know,
he's already straight into a serve, volley
on the second point, just giving Fritz
a little bit of something to think about.
[crowd cheering]
[Mark] He's going
right through the repertoire.
[Feliciano chuckles] The repertoire.
Winner on the run…
-[chair umpire] Forty-love.
-…drop shot, serve and volley.
That variation is what
makes Carlos very unique.
-[line umpire] Out!
-[chair umpire] Game, Alcaraz.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] Nice, comfortable hold
for the world number one.
Fritz having to battle a little bit more.
Tim, you're with us now.
You were there at Laver Cup.
What impressed you
about Taylor's win in that overall?
[Tim] Absolutely everything.
His ball striking
from the back of the court.
He was so aggressive.
He was hitting flat and hard,
but making so few unforced errors.
And what he did well was he got the lead.
He didn't let up,
he didn't play cautiously, he was brave,
and when he saw the finish line,
he ran over it.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] This has been some elite
ball-striking from both these two.
Quickly out of the blocks.
[line umpire] Fault!
[Feliciano] I think the fact
that he has already a match
under his belt may be something
to consider tonight.
Fritz played yesterday,
Carlos is playing
his first match here tonight.
We've been talking a lot about the court,
about the altitude here as well.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[chair umpire] Thirty-15.
[Mark] Best server on tour
in terms of picking up points
behind his first serve.
Taylor Fritz, and you can see why.
Beautiful disguise.
[line umpire] Out!
[chair umpire] Thirty-all.
[Mark] It's also been the rainmaker
for US men's tennis
over the last few years.
It wasn't that long ago,
back in May of 2021,
there were no American men ranked
inside the world's top 30
for the very first time
since the ATP rankings…
started back in 1973.
But by being the lighthouse
and you'll know this,
you come under a lot of scrutiny
a lot more than other players.
-And he's handled that exceptionally well.
-[Tim] Yeah, absolutely.
And I think that's the sort of mentality,
as the clarity of thought to…
go out and execute his game plan
and play the tennis he's capable of.
[Mark] Yeah, well, Carlos unable
to return Fritz's serve.
Laura Robson went out there with a camera
to see what it was like
to return Alcaraz's serve.
Take a look at this.
-[Laura] Hey.
-How are you doing?
[Laura] Good.
I think you have to serve to me,
but I need a racket.
Who's got small hands?
-Who's got small hands?
-It's okay, you need a racket?
Just a little bit bigger than mine.
I haven't played since July.
It's not my racket.
It's a lot of excuses already.
We'll see how it goes.
I just feel like I'm going to shank it.
[upbeat music playing]
[Laura grunts]
I'm actually really surprised
I'm getting them in.
It's out, it's out. [laughs]
Thank you.
They said to me, do you think you're going
to get one in?
I was like, "I hope so. It's embarrassing
if I don't get one back."
-Thank you.
-Was my-- was my serve, is ready?
[Laura] Yeah, but you made
the improvements on the serve.
It's meant to be good now. [laughs]
[music concludes]
[Mark] Did pretty well, I thought.
[Tim] Yeah, absolutely.
Laura, she's a flat ball hitter,
big ball striker,
hits a few winners, makes a few mistakes.
[crowd chanting indistinctly]
[Mark] Carlos' brother Alvaro there,
one of the last people that you saw
in that particular shot
for Laura who went out there
to see what it was like to face
this man's serve.
It's certainly been a shot
that has improved massively.
[line umpire] Fault!
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] And Feli, if you go back
and look at Carlos when he first came
onto tour, if you look at his serve,
you look at his forehand,
and you look at his backhand,
they have all changed technically.
-[Feliciano] His serve mainly, I think.
-[Mark] Yeah.
[Feliciano] Especially this year.
He started the year
with a small technical change,
-technical adjustment on his serve.
-[line umpire] Fault!
[Feliciano] The rest of his game,
I don't think he changed that much,
forehand and backhand.
He's way more consistent than he was
when he started on the tour, of course.
I think, I don't know
if you guys agree with me,
but I think we're seeing now
the best version
of Carlos Alcaraz so far.
[Tim] There's no doubt
that he's playing his best,
but I still look at areas
where he can get better,
-and I think shot selection is…
-[Feliciano] Of course. [chuckling]
We're going to see
multiple better versions of him, yeah.
[Tim] But he's at the top of his power.
[Mark] Nobody does that better.
Juan Carlos Ferrero,
the man you saw in the previous shot,
looking after and guiding Alcaraz.
[chair umpire] Thirty-15.
[Mark] But this was something
that he brought onto tour
right from the get-go.
And it sets him apart.
And not only does he play it
like that with some aplomb,
he plays it
in the biggest of the moments.
[chair umpire] Forty-15.
[line umpire] Fault!
[line umpire] Out!
[chair umpire] Game, Alcaraz.
[Mark] Alcaraz pulls up alongside Fritz
after four games.
[chair umpire] Two games all.
[Mark] Earlier, there was a little bit
of a rumor halfway through the year
that some people back in Spain
felt as though
that maybe Juan Carlos and Carlos,
maybe it would be a nice little
kind of change that I was reading.
I was thinking at the time,
that would have been wild,
given the success that he has had.
-[Feliciano] No, no chance.
-[Mark] Yeah.
[Feliciano] I don't think
they're going to split, you know, ways.
And I think Carlos is, you know, aware
of how important Juan Carlos is…
for him right now.
And I don't think this is a possibility,
honestly, right now.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
[Tim] He's done well there,
Fritz, staying in the rally.
Alcaraz dominating with the forehand
but guessing right on the backhand pass.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] Yeah, the problem for Fritz
there was the ball was so low
that Alcaraz could cheat in
inside the baseline
to cover the drop shot.
You can see here, he couldn't really,
by the time he got there,
get it up and down quickly.
So, Alcaraz could sneak in,
and therefore the drop shot was never
going to be quite as effective.
-[Feliciano] Wow.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] That did not leave the rails,
did not deviate at all.
[Tim] It's the one Laura Robson
was talking about.
-Look at that. Pinpoint accuracy.
-[Feliciano] Open stance there.
Well-balanced.
[chair umpire] Let for service.
[Feliciano] Huge advantage
for the two-handed backhand players
to hit that shot, huh?
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] Well, he can do magical things
on the court
and he can also see into the future.
Look at the movement and anticipation.
It was a great little dig from Fritz.
[Tim] I think Alcaraz knew
that Fritz was going to go cross court
-before Fritz did.
-[Feliciano laughing]
[Mark] He hacked his firewall.
Oh.
It's just beautiful to watch.
Tennis out here in Saudi Arabia.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Tim] We often talk
about cutting down the angles,
and this is a perfect example
on the backhand side.
Taking time away from Fritz,
driving the backhand, coming forward.
[line umpire] Out!
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
-[chair umpire] Game, Alcaraz.
[Mark] Stuck his racket out,
got the reward that he wanted,
and another beautiful game from Alcaraz.
Picks up an early break
against the American
to lead three-two in the opening set.
And it was just over a quarter
of an hour ago that the world number one,
who was wearing one of those wearables
that we saw Laura Robson have
on his chest as he came out.
As ever here on Netflix,
trying to just bring you up close
with the action of all the players
as they come out onto court.
We've got a nice low camera angle
for you this week
that has been wonderfully employed
just trying to get you with those players.
We're going to get a look
inside Carlos' bag.
As he just hops it off.
[Feliciano] Oh,
so he had it only for the walk-on.
[Mark laughing] You wanted him
to play in the whole match?
[Feliciano] No, I thought
for the warm-up, maybe.
[Mark] Well, one of the great narratives
that swirls around Carlos is a little bit
of the inconsistency that
he's a bit more up and down than Jannik.
But when you start drilling down
into a lot of the numbers,
he was the fastest man to get to 100 wins.
He's the fastest man to get to 275 wins,
is the fastest man to get to 150.
You know these… the numbers
that he is creating
eight titles this year, more match wins
than anybody else coming
into this tonight,
as we look outside in Riyadh
on a beautiful evening.
Tim, there isn't a lack
of consistency from this man.
[Tim] No, definitely not.
And then you look
at the six Grand Slam titles
in the context of our sport.
You know, that's up there with Edberg.
It's getting close to Becker,
Wilander, McEnroe, Connors.
It's absolutely phenomenal.
And he's still so young.
So the bar is set high.
[Mark] Six major titles.
Second youngest after Björn Borg
to that particular number.
-[line umpire] Out!
-[crowd applauding]
[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
[Feliciano] I think this is the year
when he started to be more consistent.
Carlos, since April,
since he played the finals
in Barcelona, losing to Rune.
Since then, he has lost only one match
apart from that final in Barcelona.
[chair umpire] Thirty-love.
[Mark] Comparison, at times,
can be the thief of joy.
But you take a look
at Alcaraz winning his third major.
That was in just his 14th Grand Slam.
Nadal managed that in 13th.
[line umpire] Out!
[Mark] Federer in 21.
But perhaps the most eye-catching one,
of course, is Novak.
How long it took him to win his third one.
And of course, he is the man
that is at the summit of slams
in terms of the numbers that he's won.
Took Novak 27 majors
to pick up his third one.
His last quarter of his career
has been phenomenal.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[chair umpire] Forty-15.
[Feliciano] And also his determination
whenever he has to play finals.
It's six and one in majors,
if I'm not wrong.
Nine and one, no?
[Tim] Eight and one in the Masters now
[Feliciano] Eight and one
in the Masters 1000.
[Tim] Yes, he's won 14
out of 16 of his biggest finals.
-[Feliciano] It's incredible.
-[line umpire] Fault!
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[chair umpire] Forty-30.
[Tim] And Fritz is a great ball-striker,
but to me that just emphasizes
that Alcaraz has got another gear.
When he unloads that forehand,
it's a different sound,
it's a different strike.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] And as he's gone through
the last couple of years,
smoothing out that motion
from when he first came onto tour,
that is what has happened.
That was a big separator between him
and Jannik at the US Open final,
was his accuracy on first serve,
just makes life
that much more comfortable.
Fritz is going to have to try
and hunt the Spaniard
like a bounty hunter out here,
because Alcaraz looks inspired.
[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
[line umpire] Out!
[Feliciano] Back to his movement
on the court,
don't you think the greatest players ever
are the best movers also ever?
[Tim] There haven't been
many great players that move badly,
-that is for sure.
-[Feliciano] Not badly,
but better than the rest.
Way better than the rest.
Rafa, Roger, Novak, now Carlos and Sinner.
[line umpire] Out!
[Tim] And they have such attributes
with their game.
They've got amazing shots,
but sometimes, therefore,
that takes the narrative away
from their defensive skills.
And actually, those three,
I think, have been three
of the best defenders in tennis,
making their opponent hit
that extra shot.
[line umpire] Fault!
[Tim] We saw from Sinner yesterday,
I think, deceptively good mover.
So fast.
[Feliciano] Especially side to side.
It's incredible the way he moves.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[chair umpire] Forty-15.
-[Feliciano] No.
-[Mark] Yes. I'm afraid it's a yes.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] While it was magic from Alcaraz,
unfortunately, for Fritz,
a little tragic in the end,
but he did his absolute best
to hustle to that.
[Tim] He did well to control that,
push it deep,
but then the icing on the cake…
[Feliciano] The response to that forehand
that he was unloading.
-[line umpire] Out!
-[chair umpire] Game, Fritz.
[Mark] Yeah, he got the green light
on the forehand,
Fritz, to pull the pin out,
and he certainly did that,
and he's happened to play
some beautiful tennis
just to stay in the shadow of Alcaraz.
We're going to go down courtside,
Laura Robson's with Juan Carlos.
[Laura] Yeah, Juan Carlos, so far
the highlight reel is pretty special,
but it looks like
you almost don't react anymore.
Are you just used to this level of tennis?
I mean, after almost eight years,
absolutely,
I'm used to see Carlos every day.
But still, when he won
these kind of points,
like very special ones,
it's always a pleasure
to watch him every match.
And these two have played each other twice
in the last month.
I know you weren't there for that,
but what have you taken
from the two matches?
-I'm sure you watched the replays.
-Absolutely everything.
I think we have to… the coaches,
we have to see the details on matches
to see how we can improve
in the next matches.
And of course, Taylor's coach do the same.
So I think, you know, they both players,
they play very aggressive.
So here with the altitude, the conditions,
I think we are not going
to see very long points.
But at the same time, you know,
it's nice to have this kind of success
because at the end of the year,
we're going to have this kind of court.
[Laura] And at the moment, you know,
Jannik and Carlos are so far ahead
of everyone else, it feels like.
But do you feel in your coach's mind
that Taylor is not that far behind?
[Juan] No, absolutely. Taylor, I think
he's playing a very good level
and I think he's adapting the level
that he's seen on Carlos and Jannik
to really play this kind of level.
The last tournament that we have,
and of course, you know,
try to fight for the Grand Slams as well.
[Laura] And now you just keep saying,
"Do what you're doing."
[Juan] Okay, thank you. I'll try.
[Mark] Juan Carlos, of course,
former world number one,
Got to the pinnacle by winning the major
at the French Open back in 2003.
And has been a great anchor for this man
as he's shot up into superstardom.
And is in good nick as well,
because I was in the gym in Rome,
in the player's gym,
and he was working out.
-[Feliciano] He's in very good shape.
-[Mark] He is in good shape.
I did the honorable thing
and didn't want to embarrass him
and join in, because he did offer,
but I didn't want to
make him feel too bad.
So I just shuffled out of the room.
He's been a wonderful influence,
hasn't he, Feli, on Carlos?
[Feliciano] He is very professional,
Juan Carlos.
He's been as a player, as a coach also.
He's paying attention
to every single detail.
Very demanding at times,
but this is what Carlos
probably needs, you know?
[Mark] If you haven't seen
the Netflix documentary
on Carlos Alcaraz called My Way,
you can download it and stream it,
of course, on this platform
and go and watch it.
It was a great watch.
It was a lot of interesting stuff
from Carlos and it's nice to see
that he's kind of found his own voice
within that team
because it's not always easy
for a youngster
when they're doing as well as they are
to find their own personality
and keep with it.
[Feliciano] Must have been tough, also,
for Carlos to deal with, you know,
so many things at a very young age,
you know just the expectations
-and so…
-[Tim] From the outside looking in,
it just looks like he's got
the most wonderful family around him
to provide that support… as we see
another incredible winner full stretch
A little smile over to the box
to say "Did you see that one as well?"
Yeah, the collective team,
family, Juan Carlos,
physio, fitness trainer,
looks like it's a very good setup.
[Feliciano] Yeah, very good setup.
Also, I have the feeling
that sometimes the families,
they don't get enough credit, you know,
because we talk so many times about,
you know, coach, you know,
who's obviously the person
who spends most of the time
with the players,
but we can see Carlito's father…
Ambition, now.
-He's a wonderful person.
-[Mark] Just in case you were wondering
whether the first one
was a little fortuitous
he just flicked another one down the line
for good measure.
[Tim] It's a very good
serve from Fritz
he's taken the pace off it
but he's got great width close to the line
and he's then just trying to get
the next shot back into play. It's…
unplayable at times
[line umpire] Out!
[chair umpire] Thirty-all.
[Mark] That was an excellent point
from Fritz.
Countered the slice beautifully
with the forehand back down the line.
It would have been tempting
just to tug it cross-court
into Alcaraz's forehand,
but he kept it very neutral,
but excellent depth from the American.
And for once,
Alcaraz just somewhat overplaying.
[line umpire] Fault!
[Feliciano] Again, another b*llet
of the return from Carlos.
[chair umpire] Deuce.
Again with the forehand.
He seems to be very comfortable there,
hitting bombs from the forehand side.
[Mark] Route one often the best route.
And Fritz, who's tried to
take it out wide and has been hurt
in that particular department
in this game,
takes one through the T.
[chair umpire] Game, Fritz.
[Mark] And he keeps himself involved
in this opening set.
[chair umpire] And Alcaraz…
[Mark] He's given Alcaraz perhaps
something to think about here
by just staying the one game
behind as we've travelled
through the opening nine games
of this first set.
Anything you've seen,
Feli, that maybe Taylor could do
on the return at this particular stage
that may just catch Carlos out?
[Feliciano] Not really, not really, Mark.
I think he's playing…
He's been playing great so far.
He hasn't made a lot
of mistakes throughout the set.
The other guy on the other side of the net
was just a better player today.
And he's bringing
a lot of different shots.
Normally, Taylor, from the back
of the court,
he's able to beat almost everyone.
His pace is very, very high,
and normally his opponents have
a hard time neutralizing that power,
but that's not the case
when you play Carlos.
-[chair umpire] Time.
-[Feliciano] And I don't know
if he has the skills to do
something different, you know?
To do, I don't know,
mixing it up a little bit.
I don't think he has that kind of game.
[Mark] The arena lit up
like a kaleidoscope.
[line umpire] Out!
[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
[Mark] Devastatingly good accuracy
on his first serve in this opening set.
[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Thirty-love.
[Tim] Hundred and eighty-five kilometers
an hour on the second serve,
and the forehand
wasn't much slower either.
[line umpire] Out!
[chair umpire] Forty-love.
[Mark] Triple set point.
[chair umpire] Forty-15.
[Mark] Just too many precision strikes
from Alcaraz in that opening set.
[crowd cheering]
[Mark] And Fritz waves goodbye
to the opener.
He's going to have to come from
behind against the world number one.
Never an easy thing to do.
Six-four.
Alcaraz always in charge.
Laura Robson, one of the best seats
in the house down there.
It's always a joy to watch this man
just dial through
his repertoire, isn't it?
[Laura] It's ridiculous, guys.
I mean, I'm sure
you are seeing the same thing as me,
but it just looks like he has
all the time in the world.
It just sometimes seems hard to believe
how easy it looks out there for him.
The fact that he can go up to, you know,
a drop volley and look like he's got
six different options to play.
So, I mean, that's the tough part
if you're Taylor Fritz here.
You know, what can you do?
He's trying his best.
He's trying different things.
He's playing out of his comfort zone.
But he just has to do that
every single point.
And he's dealing with someone
who's giving him
so much variety
down the other end of the court.
So very tough to manage.
You know, he's such a great competitor,
though, Taylor Fritz.
I'm sure he's going to give it
absolutely everything to try
and turn this match around.
And he loves…
you know, the tougher, tighter matches
and is absolutely
dead-set on video games
and he sort of applies the same mentality
when he's out here on the court.
[Mark] Yeah, Laura, I'd say
the other thing that we are
reaping the benefit of the latitude
that his dad gave him
and the coaches at a younger age
to be able to play this freestyle tennis
that we see from Alcaraz.
There's his dad. Because he liked
to hit 60 drop shots in a match.
There were points when
Juan Carlos has actually banned him
from hitting that on the Challenger
and Futures Tour at times
because it was overly too much.
There was too high a frequency,
but also the serve and volley.
He was quite happy to lose
when he was, sort of…
He didn't lose a lot, to be honest,
but when he did lose, he was quite happy
to lose, with the ball going
over his head, coming in all the time.
[Tim] And having played in that fashion
at such a young age,
I think now when you see him
on the court,
it doesn't matter
where he is on the court.
He's comfortable because he's
been there many times before.
He's not scared to hit that backhand
and come forward.
He's not scared to use
the serve and volley.
[Mark] That's so good
from down low from Fritz,
interesting he went body
second serve there, because he's tried
to, as you've been saying, Feli,
go into the forehand
and Carlos on the outside, but he's not
got much change out of that.
He's gone wide also.
Hasn't been a great outcome.
That one was into the body
and worked out nicely.
[Feliciano] Yeah, I think we,
we all are expecting to…
to see the down-the-line backhand
which is his signature shot, but,
you know, he shows some finesse
on that angle that he…
Wow.
Also back to Carlos, he's very brave
to try different things.
Also…
at crucial moments during the matches,
which is, for me, very impressive,
you know.
Serve and volley on break point,
the drop shot also when it's tied
in the score.
[chair umpire] Forty-15
[Feliciano] It's very rare to see
in other players.
Think he's been raised,
you know, that way.
[Tim] And gained a lot of good habits.
[Mark] Just trying to coax
that up the line,
he just couldn't quite find the inside
of the line there or maybe the outside
of the ball well enough as Fritz is up
and running unscathed
at the start of this second set.
And you just never know
maybe at the start of the second set
there's a little flat spot
from the world number one
that he can take advantage of,
and he has always plugged in one of
the great competitors out there, Taylor.
Difficult start to season,
and then turned things around
beautifully since the start of June.
A couple of titles for the American.
Went 33 and nine after that.
He's put himself in a really good spot
for the 2025 season.
[Feliciano] The grass season was probably
the turning point for him.
[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
[Mark] Let's not forget
that the four-set loss to Alcaraz
at Wimbledon contained
a couple of set points
at the back end of that four-set
breaker, six-four he led.
Did have a point to take it
into a fifth on his own serve,
just couldn't quite get it done.
[chair umpire] Thirty-love.
[Mark] Had an ab issue
at the start of the year
that kind of derailed his progress, Fritz.
[line umpire] Fault.
[chair umpire] Thirty-15.
[Mark] It's not that Fritz
can't crush and rush, Tim.
He just doesn't feel necessarily
as comfortable
if he's got to defend with the volley
if the return isn't good enough.
[Tim] Yeah, exactly that.
[line umpire] Fault!
[Tim] When he comes in
from the back of the court,
it's normally behind a very offensive,
strong approach shot,
whereas with a crush and rush,
it's not always the case.
[crowd cheering]
[Tim] Fritz at his best!
[chair umpire] Thirty-all.
[Tim] When he beat Alcaraz
at Laver Cup, that was the type of point
that he played consistently.
He was the one that was able
to get on the front foot.
That has not been the case tonight,
and that's purely because of the quality
of Alcaraz's play.
[line umpire] Fault!
[Tim] Hadn't many chances tonight,
but three-all.
Thirty-all, sorry. Second serve.
[line umpire] Out!
[chair umpire] Forty-30.
[Tim] Don't get me wrong, it's not easy,
but on that type of second serve,
he's probably got to do more with it.
It was too central
into Alcaraz's forehand.
[line umpire] Fault!
[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Game, Alcaraz.
[Mark] Held it so long,
he almost forgot to hit it.
[Tim chuckles] Waiting for his opponent
to move one way or the other.
[Feliciano] He had to make the move.
[Mark] Can break it down simply
for Taylor at the moment,
and it's all about this game,
his service game, just trying
to stay in front, stay tidy…
[line umpire] Fault!
[Mark] …and not offer up too many
of these, look. Second serves.
You can you just see Alcaraz there,
pulling up a little bit. He's…
I don't know if he's still got tape
on his ankle from the fall
that he had in Tokyo, but he has
had it earlier this week,
but he did cut it off in practice
at one stage.
-[Feliciano] I think he has something.
-[Mark] Yeah.
[Feliciano] I don't know
if he has his ankle tape.
But yeah, we can see there.
This is the kinesio tape.
[line umpire] Fault!
[chair umpire] Thirty-15.
-[crowd member shouting indistinctly]
-[scattered applause]
[crowd cheering]
[Feliciano] The ability
to change direction, also, on both shots,
forehand and backhand.
It's incredible.
[Tim] Fritz has hit that shot thinking,
I'm in control of the point.
[Feliciano] I'm in control of the point.
And then you have to go from…
Good serve now.
[chair umpire] Forty-30.
[crowd member] Come on!
[line umpire] Fault!
[line umpire] Fault.
[Mark] You can see that is a double fault
that's earned by the quality
of returning from Alcaraz.
You could see that Fritz,
he doesn't want
to take it to the line, but he knows
if he doesn't take it to the line,
he's probably going
to be behind the eight ball
as the rally develops.
[Tim] It's the same
from the back of the court
when they get into the baseline exchanges.
Fritz knows that anything in the middle
of the court, too central,
is going to be punished.
[line umpire] Fault.
[chair umpire] Advantage, Alcaraz.
[Feliciano] Not the right moment
to hit another double fault now.
[Tim] No, up against it.
Relentless pressure.
[line umpire] Fault.
[Tim] Anywhere in the box at this stage.
[Feliciano] Yeah.
[Mark] That is a reprieve.
-And he needs to utilize it.
-[chair umpire] Deuce.
[Mark] Perhaps just the shortness
of that second serve
actually helped Fritz out.
It actually got up pretty high to Alcaraz.
[line umpire] Fault.
-[line umpire] Out.
-[crowd applauding]
[chair umpire] Advantage, Fritz.
[Tim] A couple of loose points
from both players.
Two double faults from Fritz.
A couple of unforced errors from Alcaraz.
-[line umpire] Out!
-[chair umpire] Game, Fritz.
[Mark] First serve to seal the second game
on his serve of this second set.
But that was a hard fall to endeavor
for Taylor Fritz.
But Wolfgang Oswald,
his physio, who's also doubling up
with coaching duties this week,
will be a relieved man with Laura.
Yeah, I feel like I picked a good moment
to come down here when he's just
saved a couple of break points.
You're a man of many jobs
this week, officially physio.
But I've heard a little bit
from the side of the court.
What's Taylor's mindset
in a match like this
where he knows
he's got to play all-out against Carlos?
Yeah, he knows he has to be aggressive,
just like at Laver Cup,
and take it to him.
You can't just hit rally ba*ls
against Carlos
because he just steps in and hurts you.
So, every ball has to be well placed,
hit aggressively, and… and it's tough.
It's tough to get rhythm with him,
'cause you can't just get into a rally.
How mentally challenging is that for him,
to prepare for this though?
Because knowing that he's gonna feel
like he's suffocated a little bit
on the baseline, is there anything
that he does differently ahead of this?
No, Fritz is always a battler
and that's one of his strengths,
is he'll fight for every single point,
you know, tooth and nail.
So, yeah, he's just playing
his game, you know?
Any tactics that you're dropping in?
-Not really. Hit the ball hard. [chuckles]
-[laughs]
[Feliciano laughs]
I think that's a--
That's a safe bet. [chuckles]
[Mark] Listen, sometimes
you've just got to stay in your lane.
[Feliciano chuckles]
[Mark] And he's not wrong though,
to be honest, he's--
Anything that's sort of sitting there
around waist height,
it's green light time for the American
to try and get after Alcaraz.
Just hasn't had many to get after.
[Feliciano] No, so far he responded
to everything in this match.
-[line umpire] Out!
-[crowd applauding]
-[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
-[Feliciano] That is a good example of,
you know, Carlos' variation, you know?
I think Taylor was expecting
a much harder shot on that backhand,
and he…
he hits that slice beautifully.
-And surprising his opponent again.
-[crowd applauding]
[chair umpire] Fifteen-all.
[Mark] He's been flawless on serve
up until this point,
but he has just frayed
at the edges a little bit
in his last couple of service games,
so maybe an opportunity
will develop here for Fritz.
-[line umpire] Not up.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
[chair umpire] Thirty-15.
[Tim] Never a great feeling
when you're just…
always chasing the ball…
forwards and back, side to side.
-[crowd applauding]
-[Mark] Great counter from Fritz.
-Again, the absence…
-[chair umpire] Thirty-all.
[Mark] …of alternatives here
that are hurtling towards Fritz
makes things
just a little bit simpler in his mind.
There's no point just rallying
that back cross-court. He's crunched it.
Can he carve out an opportunity?
[line umpire] Fault!
-[crowd applauding, cheering]
-[Mark] He's got him again.
And Shaquille O'Neal will be
enjoying that one.
That's just one point, not three points,
but it is a big point for Taylor Fritz.
Shaquille here for Riyadh Season.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] Opportunity he's been
patiently waiting for.
-[Feliciano] No.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Feliciano] I think Carlos,
he was willing to go to the net.
[chair umpire] Deuce.
[Feliciano] He had to make a step back
to hit that forehand after his serve.
That's a…
[Tim] It was an opportunity, wasn't it?
[Feliciano] A pity the way he wasted it.
[Tim] Did very well on the forehand
on the previous point.
-[crowd applauding]
-[Tim] That's a clever serve.
[Feliciano] He gives you one,
you have to take it.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
-[Mark] There's always something
to take away from a match
with Alcaraz in it,
even if he is dominating his opponent.
And that was the moment.
[chair umpire] Two games all.
[Mark] Ryan Seacrest over from America,
a television host over there.
I believe he was on the Wheel of Fortune.
I don't know if he's
still doing that these days.
But fortune favors the brave in sport,
and it's certainly
something that Alcaraz brings
to the rectangle. [inhales sharply]
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] Try to shuffle that one
over somehow.
[chair umpire] Love-15.
[Mark] It's tough with his grip,
Tim, isn't it,
to get in the right place for that volley?
[Tim smacks lips] Yeah, that's right.
I think it was the right ball
to come forward to,
but that's perhaps where he doesn't have
the instinct at the net.
He was probably covering the middle,
needed to cover the line.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
-[line umpire] Out!
-[chair umpire] Love-30.
-[Tim] And all of a sudden…
a couple of swings
of the racket, you're down.
Love-30, having had break point
in the previous Alcaraz service game.
Alarm bells ringing in the Fritz camp.
[crowd applauding]
[chair umpire] Fifteen-30.
[Mark] That was a really impressive
plus-one shot there
from Fritz, down love-30.
I mean, he misses that
and he's in a world of pain.
-[Feliciano] Wow.
-[crowd applauding, cheering]
[Feliciano] He's been targeting the line
many times, Carlos, on his backhand.
-[Tim] Even more so than Fritz, I think.
-[Feliciano] Yeah, yeah.
I was expecting Fritz to do it more, but…
it's Carlos, today, who's taking the risk
of going for the line many times.
[line umpire] Fault!
-[line umpire] Out!
-[crowd applauding]
[Mark] And he was committed to coming in,
but it wasn't his best return.
Taylor's serve has been under siege
last couple of service games.
Can he find another escape route?
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
-[Feliciano] No way.
[Tim laughs]
[Mark] You can feel it happening,
the alchemy, when Alcaraz is on the court.
-Something just a little bit special.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] Spellbinding, you can say.
-[chair umpire] Alcaraz leads.
-[Feliciano] I'm very surprised by
how he's playing tonight.
Because in these conditions,
it's not easy, the first match.
Taylor played yesterday.
Has one match under his belt, but…
so far, he responded
to everything tonight.
-[Mark] Let's just watch this again, Feli.
-[Feliciano] It's incredible.
The different shots that he's been…
throwing, you know, in this point.
[Mark] It's an absolute
smorgasbord of shots, isn't it?
I mean, you just look
at the camera angle that we got.
And then he just started
to edge up the velocity.
And I think Taylor thought the backhand
was gonna be of a similar ilk.
-And then it was this one.
-[Feliciano chuckles]
[Tim] And the feel, to be on the baseline
and just to feather that ball
over the net, break point.
[Feliciano] He was not really in position
to hit that drop shot, guys, I think.
[chair umpire] Time.
[Mark] I think he's gonna dispute that
with you later.
-[Tim laughs]
-[Feliciano] Probably, probably.
That's why I love watching him play,
because he's so creative.
He…
-[Tim] …can do it all.
-[Feliciano] Yeah.
[Mark] Fritz once again
for a second consecutive set
is gonna have to tailgate Alcaraz here.
[line umpire] Fault!
[Mark] That's not a bad way
to start the game.
He's gotta run
a little bit of interference
-into the rhythm that Alcaraz has.
-[chair umpire] Love-15.
[Tim] Yeah, and you can be sure
that Fritz is gonna keep competing
-for each and every point. No let up.
-[crowd chanting] Let's go, Fritz.
[Tim] Still believes that he can turn
this one around.
[crowd applauding]
[chair umpire] Fifteen-all.
[Tim] You can almost hear him say,
"Gotta make that."
Love-15,
it was a good first serve, but…
he'd fancy getting that back into play.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Tim] Such a good camera angle, isn't it?
[Mark] Yeah,
we can all give Taylor a group hug
-from here, we're that close to him.
-[chair umpire] Thirty-15.
[Mark chuckles]
You could see what was coming.
[Tim] The pace. So little time for Fritz
to react, to move.
-[line umpire] Out!
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Feliciano] Didn't expect that.
[chair umpire] Thirty-all.
[crowd chanting] Let's go, Fritz.
[Mark] He missed one earlier in the match
that was a little lower,
and he shadowed it a couple of times.
It was almost as though
he was thinking about it too much.
[crowd applauding]
[Mark] And that's one of the hard things
with that grip, for Taylor,
when he gets pushed out that wide
and he's trying to get through the ball.
Often he'll just sort of tug it
over the top of the ball,
and it doesn't get
any elevation off the strings.
That's why he's been so good
against big servers,
blocking the ball back in recent times.
[Feliciano] No.
[Mark] You keep saying "no," Feli. Yes.
-[Tim laughs]
-[chair umpire] Game, Alcaraz.
[Feliciano] Still surprises me.
[laughs] I've seen him…
[chair umpire] New ba*ls, please.
[Feliciano] …playing so many times,
but it's always…
[chair umpire] Four games to two.
[Mark] Have you ever seen
a more complete player at his age?
I know there's recency bias
always with these things,
when you look at a player.
You know, Johnny Mac,
when he first came out as a teenager,
-was phenomenal.
-[Feliciano] Federer.
-Federer. What do you think, Tim?
-[Tim smacks lips]
I think Federer was still
more volatile… mentally.
I mean, he had the shots,
but I don't think he was…
He was still working it out.
Whereas Alcaraz has been…
playing this type of tennis
in the last 12-18 months.
-It's phenomenal to see.
-[crowd chanting, applauding]
[Mark] Taylor taking advantage
of the new ba*ls.
He likes the desert air.
He's had some
of his biggest moments in Indian Wells
over in California,
not too far from where he lives.
Made his first ever ATP Masters 1000
main draw debut there…
back in 2016.
Had his first top ten win in Indian Wells
against Marin Cilic in 2017.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
-[Mark] Triple digit.
That was not 88 or Main Street.
That was right out of the top drawer.
And the takeaway from Alcaraz
on the forehand side
didn't give you any indication
that what was gonna
come off his strings there.
-[line umpire] Out!
-[crowd applauding]
[chair umpire] Fifteen-30.
[Tim] It's almost as if Alcaraz can read
that serve in the deuce box out…
out wide to his forehand.
-Just onto it so quickly.
-[crowd cheering]
-[line umpire] Out!
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
[chair umpire] Thirty-all.
[Mark] Just circling back to…
his wins in Indian Wells.
Of course, biggest win of his career came
against Zverev in '21.
And then picks up
his first ever Masters 1000 title
in Indian Wells in '22,
beating Nadal in the final there.
-[line umpire] Out!
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Feliciano] That's another mistake
from Fritz.
Another break point.
[Mark] Are there mistakes
at this stage, Feli, though?
-[Feliciano scoffs]
-[crowd applauding]
[Mark] It's a tough standard
we hold 'em to.
[Feliciano] Yeah, there's a lot
of pressure also when you play Carlos,
thirty-0.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
-[chair umpire] Game, Alcaraz.
[Mark] Jumped all over the second serve
and there will be no victory laps
once again for Fritz
against Carlos Alcaraz,
like they were at Laver Cup.
Alcaraz getting the better
of Fritz in Tokyo,
and it looks as though it's gonna be
the same here in Saudi Arabia.
["APT" playing over speakers]
[Mark] And it has been
a statement performance.
Of course, we're very much a part
of the Six Kings Slam here on Netflix.
But as you can see there,
top left, "#SixKingsSlam."
If you are around, you can go
and see what's been happening.
Of course, it is Riyadh Season
for a sixth time in Saudi Arabia.
A real blend of entertainment, sport.
[song stops]
[Mark] And that's what this man brings,
isn't it? It's a heady c*ck.
[Tim] Yeah, absolutely.
It's just another Alcaraz match
that's been a pleasure to watch.
We've seen absolutely the full repertoire.
Aggression from the back of the court
coming forward…
plenty of times, I think that emphasizes…
-speed, the altitude here.
-[chair umpire] Time.
[Tim] Just looking so confident
and comfortable.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] One of the best TV pundits.
And one of the best…
NBA players of all time.
Just texting his friends
about this Alcaraz performance, I'm sure.
Final ticket will be secured if Alcaraz
can hang on to this service game.
-[chair umpire] Let, for service.
-[Mark] He would have a chance,
of course, to reload for a second time,
even if he did drop his serve.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[chair umpire] Fifteen-all.
[chair umpire] Let. Second service.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[chair umpire] Fifteen-30.
[Mark] This is definitely not
faux resistance here from Taylor Fritz.
We know just how competitive
the American is.
And he has not given up.
Feeling like he still can
potentially just turn this one around.
But in keeping with everything
that's happened tonight in this match,
it has just been the perfect response
to any pressure situation
from the Spaniard.
[Tim] Just climbing onto that back end.
No thought of the score, just 15-30.
Bangs it down the line.
[Mark] Yeah, he's nurtured a few over
and he has gone nuclear a couple of times.
[Mark] A quite exquisite performance
from the world number one.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] Match point.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
-[Tim] Trying to finish with a flourish.
-[chair umpire] Deuce.
[Tim] Come down the line
with that backhand a lot, but…
that one cross-court
just finding the tape.
[crowd chanting indistinctly, applauding]
[Mark] Fran Rubio, his physio,
sitting next to his dad.
-[chair umpire] Let, for service.
-[Mark] Good friends of Carlos as well.
He was at his wedding
just over a year ago.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] Well, it was the scalpel
of the chiseled backhand
down the line that just opened up
the ability for Alcaraz
to pivot that point in his favor.
[Tim] Yeah, the slice backhand
down the line was beautifully played,
accurate into the corner,
and then took the opportunity
of driving the backhand
behind Fritz again.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] Last-ditch attempt.
[chair umpire] Deuce.
-[Mark] But he's found something there.
-[Tim] Yeah, beautifully ex*cuted.
Early on the rise.
Cutting down the angle
before it got too big on him, and…
Early strike.
-[crowd applauding]
-[Mark] Fabulous from Fritz.
It was actually a phenomenal return.
[chair umpire] Advantage, Fritz.
[Tim] And a huge strike on the backhand,
recognizing the opportunity
to move forward
and punching that forehand volley away.
[Mark] Got his left hand involved
beautifully in that backhand
to sort of cut the singles line
at the three-quarter mark.
[crowd applauding]
[Mark] Just dials up
another ideal response.
[chair umpire] Deuce.
-[line umpire] Out.
-[crowd applauding]
-[chair umpire] Advantage, Alcaraz.
-[crowd applauding, cheering]
[Mark] That disarming smile
that Alcaraz has.
-[line umpire] Out!
-[chair umpire] Game, set, match.
[Mark] And, why not?
Because he always gives off the impression
there's nothing else in the world
he'd rather be doing than playing tennis.
The world's best simply too good
for Americans' number one.
And Alcaraz will be here for the final
on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
[upbeat Spanish music playing]
[Tim] That really was another
exquisite performance from Alcaraz,
just going through
his full repertoire of shots,
looking supremely confident on the court,
really taking apart a quality opponent.
[announcer]
Congratulations to Carlos Alcaraz
who goes through to the final,
and commiserations on this occasion…
[Mark] He picked up Shaquille O'Neal
in the crowd there.
That was where the thumbs up was
from the world number one.
As Taylor leaves, defeated, vanquished,
but he will be back for more.
The greats always seem to find a way
to balance the scales
after a crushing defeat,
which it was for Alcaraz
at the hands of Fritz at the Laver Cup.
But he has got the better of the American
in their last couple of meetings,
and part of that
was the success of the drop shot.
Won 12 out of 13 of those.
And when you back it up with a serve
that has been just poetry in motion today,
very difficult for anyone
to stay with this man.
Proved to be too hard for Taylor Fritz,
as Carlos wanders over to Andrew Castle
who will chat.
So, Carlos, welcome back to Riyadh.
You played so well there. Congratulations.
Happy with your game?
Yeah, thank you.
Yeah, I'm really pleased
about my level today.
I think just… I had fun.
I think I pulled off great shots today,
great points.
This was one of my main goals, you know,
before coming to this match,
you know, trying to pull off great shots,
great points for the people,
trying to entertain them.
I think that's why we're here,
just to make the people happy, and…
[crowd cheering, applauding]
Yeah, and I think with the noise
from the people,
I think they like it.
So, I'm just really happy about it.
[Andrew] You hit… Well.
Look at them all behind you.
Look at all these people here.
They love seeing you play
and you're through to the final.
Listen, I love the drop shot.
And how hard did you hit that forehand
in the second set?
I have no idea.
Probably 110 miles an hour.
It's unbelievable.
Where do you learn that?
[chuckles]
Sometimes I just try to,
you know, when the ball is coming,
I'm thinking, like,
"I'm going to try to hit as hard as I can
and let's see if the ball
is gonna be in or not," you know.
But it's something like,
I don't know, just training, you know,
doing some weights
just to have some good weight
and be able to pull out those forehands.
So, it is about the mix of the touch
and the power.
[Andrew] And listen,
it's important to keep having fun.
You are 22 years of age,
you've already won these Grand Slams,
you're the world number one.
What was the best thing
about this year on court for you?
Well, it's been…
I mean, I had great moments,
you know, on court, off the court.
I think this year,
it's been my best year so far,
without a doubt.
But I had, as I said, great moments.
I enjoyed so much on the court.
Probably if I had to choose one moment…
I don't know,
It's really difficult to choose one.
But when I won the Roland-Garros,
for example, The French Open,
-I think that was a great moment for me.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
Or when I won Monte Carlo, for example,
after that tournament that I came,
you know, from the loss in Miami,
and then that I was able
to come back mentally,
physically, and, you know,
play such a great tennis in Monte Carlo.
I think I'm going to choose those moments
from this year.
[Andrew] Who do you think
is going to win the next match?
Tough question, you probably won't say.
Sinner or Djokovic?
-Next up.
-Well, it is one of the best…
-[crowd cheering]
-[chuckles] It is…
It is one of the best matchups
that we have in tennis right now.
You know, so it's gonna be great,
interesting.
I'm gonna try to watch it.
I'm gonna enjoy that match.
I don't know.
You know, both players are playing great.
So, I will let the people choose
who's gonna be the winner next match.
[Andrew] You're a politician
as well as a great tennis player.
Carlos Alcaraz, congratulations.
[crowd cheering]
Okay, who wants one of these
signed tennis ba*ls? Anybody?
[crowd cheering, shouting]
[Andrew] There's only three of them.
Carlos, please don't hurt your arm.
[crowd cheering]
[Prakash] Well, he is a man
of the people everywhere he goes,
getting massive cheers over here.
He was absolutely exceptional,
start to finish,
all different aspects of the court.
Well done. Back into the final
for the second year in a row here,
trying to become the king
for the first time at this event.
Feli, you were up in the booth
and all we kept hearing is,
-"No! No, no!"
-[Feliciano chuckles]
[Prakash] You couldn't believe it.
Some of the shots he pulled off,
even though you've seen him play
so many times.
-[Feliciano] He still surprises me.
-[Prakash chuckles]
[Feliciano] But honestly, I was expecting
a more competitive match today,
considering that Taylor played
another match yesterday
and I thought that it's gonna be helpful,
you know, entering this match.
But that wasn't the case.
You know, I think Carlitos, you know,
reacted very well
to everything Taylor has tried.
And honestly, I mean,
I think he's lacked something, you know,
to really trouble Carlos today.
Laura, you talked about it,
Taylor needed to be ultra aggressive,
tried to pull the trigger
as best he could,
had some micro opportunities
here and there.
Do you feel his execution
was less about him
and the pressure that Carlos put on him?
[Laura] Yeah, exactly.
I think when you analyze that match…
-I join you.
-…there's a lot of positives.
Carlos, you're still smoking a little bit
because you were on fire out there today.
You played exceptional stuff,
but I want to know,
who has a better time, do you think?
Do you think all of us,
smiling and enjoying your play,
or you smiling on the court?
'Cause you always
have such a good time out there.
Well, I don't know.
I'm just really happy
that you enjoy the match,
you enjoy the points that I did today.
I think that's why I came here,
just to have fun.
It is a place that we are not used
to play during the…
the whole year, so it's quite new for us.
So, I'm coming here just to have fun,
trying to feel the love from the crowd.
I think, thanks to them as well,
it's why I'm able to pull off great shots,
great drops, great forehand.
So, I'm just really pleased and happy
that I was able to do it today.
You were exceptional
in all parts of the court,
but one in particular, which is, I think,
one of your favorites, is the drop shots.
We saw some exceptional
drop shots out there,
so I want you to just talk us through
a few of these,
because some of the ones you did,
they were so close up to the net.
You were very successful
all the way through.
Was it a big strategy to use
a lot of that time?
[Alcaraz] Wow, 13.
I didn't know that I made that much.
[Feliciano]
Twelve out of 13, that's great.
[Alcaraz] Well, just after five, six,
I just realized that I was, you know,
winning all the drop shots
that I was making.
So, it was a kind of a strategy.
But at the beginning, it was like,
"Okay, I just feel it."
[Laura] After five, six, you're like,
"Oh, this is going pretty well today."
[Feliciano] Go with the flow.
[Alcaraz] So, that's… Yeah.
That's what I did, you know.
But, yeah,
I think Tokyo was kind of the same.
So, at the beginning,
I knew that the drop shot,
it was going to be a great weapon today.
[Laura] Yesterday,
when we spoke to Taylor,
he mentioned that the court
was quite high bouncing,
that it was quite fast.
Did you feel like you used that
to your advantage today?
Because he just looked rushed
all the time tonight.
Well, to be honest,
I try not to think about it.
I feel like the ball bounced a lot.
So sometimes with the serve,
I just change the speed of the serve,
making, probably, in the first serve,
I just going for the kick instead of,
you know, 200, 220.
So, I just tried to use it
and then trying to catch the forehand
as soon as I can.
So, but, you know, in general,
I try not to think about it that much.
Just trying to feel good on court.
You don't need to when you play like that.
-I wasn't worried about it.
-You don't need to think much.
You know, I wasn't worried about it.
So, I'm just happy
that he was worried about it.
I have a question for Carlos.
Do you think we're seeing the best version
of Carlos Alcaraz so far in your career?
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, without a doubt.
I mean, what can I say?
What can I say?
After the year I'm having, what can I say?
But what I feel is like…
I'm not in my prime, you know,
what we are saying. I'm not in my prime.
So, I think there is more,
and a better Carlos to come.
Okay, I said, "So far"
because I'm sure we're gonna see
multiple better versions
of Carlos Alcaraz in the future,
but, so far,
I never saw you playing that good.
Yeah, so far it's the best
that I've played in my career.
So, I can't say another thing about it.
So, I'm just feeling the ball really well.
I'm just moving really well.
I think everything is going in.
So, I think so far, it's the best tennis
that I've been playing.
Carlos, you were exceptional out there.
You give us a gift
every time you step on the court.
Keep smiling, keep playing well.
Thank you for joining us.
-Thank you very much.
-Thank you.
Gracias. Ciao.
-Thank you.
-[chuckles]
Always playing some unbelievable tennis,
Carlitos Alcaraz,
and having a great time while doing it.
He looks like he's ready
to possibly capture this crown,
but that next one coming up,
that's gonna be an exciting one.
Can we see better than that?
I mean, I'm just not sure.
It can't get any better
than what we've seen.
It's now very high expectations,
I'll say that.
The marker has been laid down
after that performance
and the others coming up later
have to try and match it.
But if anyone can,
it's gonna be Jannik Sinner
and Novak Djokovic.
Certainly, I agree.
The bar keeps getting set higher
and higher,
and that's a common theme here
in Riyadh Season.
The tennis has been doing its job,
but there have been
so many beautiful elements of culture,
entertainment,
that have been brought together
by the General Entertainment Authority.
[announcer]
Welcome to the World Championships
of Try Not To React.
First to 50 wins.
Wow. They literally have everything.
[groans]
It's so tense.
[energized music playing]
[screams]
-[yelps]
-[narrator] Points to KSI.
[KSI] No, ain't no way. I'm out.
[IShowSpeed] Loser.
Try not to fumble at Beast Land.
-Whoo!
-[imitates barking]
[presenter] KSI wins.
-Now it's your turn.
-Our turn?
Oh, it's Riyadh Season!
[upbeat music playing]
[music fades]
KSI, IShowSpeed.
Shaquille O'Neal was here
for the Joy Forum.
Riyadh Season is absolutely on fire.
And what better way
to continue Riyadh Season
than see Jannik Sinner
take on Novak Djokovic.
[exciting music playing]
I'm looking forward to participate again
at the Six Kings Slam,
'cause last year that was the first time,
obviously for me and most of the players
that are participating this year,
and it was fun.
It helped to play also last year
so you know a little bit how…
how the atmosphere is and everything.
[Djokovic] I remember
every match, full house,
people screaming,
you know, getting excited,
pretty much every point,
really supporting their favorite players.
Novak is always different
because, you know,
the amount he has won is a different aura.
But again, I'm looking forward
to these kind of matches.
These matches are why I practice for,
why I live for.
So, you know, playing against these guys,
the best players in the world
in the biggest stages,
this is exactly where…
where I love to be.
And playing against Novak
is one of the toughest challenges
we have in our sport.
[Djokovic] Jannik is, you know,
aside of Carlos,
best player in the world.
You know, they split
Grand Slams this year.
And he's been amazing, consistent.
You know, it's the way he strikes
the ball, how clean he strikes it,
and how good his movement is.
It's amazing to watch.
And, you know, we had actually
a great match last year,
at the Six Kings Slam,
and we won that one in three sets.
So, hopefully we can produce something
similar like we did last year.
[crowd cheering]
Do I want to be king?
[chuckles] Yes, why not?
Everyone wants to be that.
-We all are kings here, mister.
-[music concludes]
[upbeat music playing]
[chuckles] I absolutely love that answer.
We're all kings out here.
Beautiful stuff from Novak Djokovic
and Jannik Sinner.
Laura, I couldn't be more excited
for this one.
We've seen some classics in the past,
five setters at Grand Slams,
a third set match here last year.
Do you think Novak, with his motivation,
can sort of get over the hump here
with Jannik?
-He struggled the last six times.
-Absolutely.
Yeah, obviously that head to head
hasn't been kind to him recently,
especially in the last 18 months or so.
But you feel like if there's a scenario
in which he can turn it around,
it's going to be on a night
like this where, definitely,
it feels like the crowd is going
to be rooting for Novak Djokovic.
I've seen a lot of fans
who've been parked out
since the gates opened a few hours ago.
And just this kind of court will suit him.
It plays a little bit faster.
It's high bouncing, of course.
It also suits Jannik Sinner as well,
which is the difficult part.
But it does feel like
when he's hitting his spots
on his serve in particular,
and then that first strike
after the serve,
when that's firing, he is awfully tough
to beat on a fast surface.
Watch for the crowd to be a big factor.
I think, as you said,
that could certainly help.
They've played a couple
of times this year in Grand Slams.
It's been quite one-sided
for Jannik Sinner.
What do you think, Feli, Novak can take
from those matches into this one?
Well, he was very honest, I think.
Maybe at Wimbledon when he said best
of five sets, you know,
it's too difficult for him, you know.
It's a 15 or 16 years difference,
you know, between those two players,
so that's something to consider as well.
I think he's been trying
to shorten the points.
In the last meetings,
the previous matches
that they played over the last year
and a half,
I think they were trying to bring
something different to the court.
I think he assumed
that from the back of the court,
he's not going to be able
to beat Jannik toe-to-toe
from the back of the court.
There's too much pace
that he has to neutralize.
I don't think he's going to be beating
Sinner from the back of the court.
And he was smart enough
to try to do something different.
We saw some of that at the French Open,
where he was trying.
It was a very close match,
even though he lost it at the end.
But I think he will try
to shorten the points,
to bring something different,
because from the back of the court,
it's going to be almost impossible.
Laura, what do you think
the biggest factor is for Sinner?
He's so good at robbing you of time,
staying right up on that baseline.
How is he going
to keep Novak Djokovic at bay today?
[Laura] We saw in his match yesterday
just how fast he gets up the court.
So, you know, return and hit point
on that plus-one shot is already
inside the baseline,
especially with the serve and first ball.
So, I think he just has that ability
to put you under pressure
at the very beginning of the rally.
And then from then on,
you just feel like you're on the stretch.
But, you know, he got here, I think,
on Saturday or Sunday morning.
He is very much acclimatized
and ready to go.
-He wants this title.
-But listen, the scene is set,
it is electric in the stadium
this evening.
Get ready, it's about to go down.
[song concludes]
[upbeat music playing]
-Jannik Sinner.
-Novak Djokovic.
Wimbledon champion.
Over 1000 wins.
[Sinner] Davis Cup winner.
[Djokovic] One hundred titles.
[Sinner] Defending Tour finals champion.
Twenty-four majors.
[Sinner] Australian Open champion.
[Djokovic] Triple career Grand Slams.
[both] I want to be king.
[music concludes]
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen,
the best players in the world
are in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
This is the Six Kings Slam.
And this is a great arena
for these legendary competitors.
Six kings, yes.
but only one crown.
[tense music playing]
[bricks clattering]
[dramatic musical sting plays]
[tense music rises]
[crowd clapping rhythmically]
-[clapping quickens]
-[crowd cheering]
[clapping hastens]
[rumbling]
[dramatic orchestral music playing]
[electricity crackling]
[electrical current buzzing]
[Riyadh Season logo whirring]
[cards shuffling]
[lightning cracks]
[ music crescendos]
[music concludes]
["Thunderstruck" playing]
♪ Thunder ♪
♪ Thunder ♪
[announcer] Please welcome
a Serbian superstar and history maker.
Most weeks at world number one,
most Grand Slam championships won,
Olympic gold, the best player
of all time, Novak Djokovic.
♪ Thunder ♪
♪ Thunder ♪
♪ Thunder ♪
-[song concludes]
-["POWER" playing]
[vocalizing]
♪ I'm living in that 21st century
Doing something mean to it ♪
♪ Do it better than anybody
You ever seen do it ♪
♪ Screams from the haters
Got a nice ring to it ♪
♪ I guess every superhero
Need his theme music… ♪
[announcer] At 24 years of age,
this Italian man has already been
world number one.
This summer, he became the first Italian
to win Wimbledon.
Over the past two years,
he's won four major championships.
He was in phenomenal form yesterday.
Please welcome back, Jannik Sinner.
♪ Everybody, we rolling ♪
♪ With some light-skinned girls
And some Kelly Rowlands ♪
♪ In this white man world
We the ones chosen ♪
♪ So goodnight, cruel world
I'll see you in the morning ♪
[song concludes]
[crowd cheering]
[Djokovic] Good to see you. All right?
All right, Jannik. Good to see you again.
Okay, we have live ELC and video review.
Live ELC, video review.
Okay after the…
Okay, after the coin toss,
photo that way, please.
Okay, any questions?
Now, for the towels, take the green.
Green for the towels,
no tape for the towels.
[Djokovic] Sorry?
For the towels,
take the ones without tape.
-[Djokovic] Without?
-He takes green tape.
Okay, you want to call it?
-Sure. Heads.
-Heads? Okay. Heads.
["Higher Love" playing over speakers]
♪ Bring me higher love ♪
Tails, your call.
-I receive. Yeah.
-You receive?
He receives? Serve. Okay.
♪ Bring me higher love ♪
Okay.
[crowd cheering]
[Prakash]
It is just such a special event
any time Novak Djokovic
steps on the court.
And to be able to witness another match
like this, him and Jannik Sinner…
about as brilliant
as it gets in this sport.
Let's take a look at Novak Djokovic now.
Take his warm-up swings, clean shots.
They both evolved as he's gone on, Laura.
It's been amazing to see him add
so many elements to his game,
from the beginning of his career to now.
What do you feel is the shot
that he's improved the most?
[Laura] Oh, tough one. It's got, yeah.
Feli is motioning it already.
The slice, just his ability
to add the variety
to his game is something
that he's had to improve over the years.
And, you know,
to add those different elements,
the net game has improved.
It still feels like It could continue
to get better at times.
I'd still like to see it more often,
but when you've got every shot
in the book, it's hard.
It was the only way for him
to succeed, you know?
He was fighting the big three.
He was fighting Rafa and Roger,
-and they set the bar always very high…
-[crowd cheering]
…so he needs to keep improving in order
to get wins against them.
We've seen it in other sports.
Michael Jordan added
that beautiful fadeaway jumper
as he shifted into the latter part
of his career.
All the great athletes tend to do it.
But it's been marvelous to see
the longevity in Novak's career,
to keep this motivation,
to keep the body right
all the way through.
He keeps setting the bar higher
for athletes all across sports.
[Feliciano] One thing is the motivation.
I don't know where he gets
that motivation from
after winning everything in the sport.
And then another thing is the physicality.
He's been taking care of his body
at the very highest level.
He's been taking care
of absolutely everything, nutrition,
fitness, everything so…
[Laura] The commitment to the game.
[Feliciano] The commitment to the game
and everything he gets is well deserved.
-Really.
-[Prakash] Let's not understate it.
You saw Novak's bio there,
still playing at this level of tennis.
Jannik Sinner, on the opposite end of it,
-under his belt, nearly got a fifth one…
-[crowd cheering]
…at the French Open this year
at Roland-Garros.
Laura, talk about the mental strength
of Jannik Sinner. To be able to come back
from losing that final
where he had three championship points
to win at Wimbledon,
that was one of the best things
I've seen in all of sport.
I can't imagine the heartbreak
that you feel in that moment.
And I can imagine that he just took
a couple of ways away from the sport,
just didn't want
to even think about tennis.
But then to reset emotionally,
he did play one lead-up tournament
in the warm-ups for Wimbledon.
didn't really go as planned,
but then we just saw him come together
in such a magnificent way
at the championships.
And I think it blew everyone away,
the fact that he responded
so incredibly well,
knowing that he had to improve,
that he had to step up
to the plate and did just so.
-I mean, that bouncing back after…
-Can't believe it.
…the French Open final,
I witnessed for a second,
I was there and I…
I mean didn't expect him to be like…
so composed, you know,
when they played
at the finals at Wimbledon
Like, seems like that match
at the French was already gone
for him, in his mind, and uh,
it's really impressive,
you know, the ability to bounce back
after such a very tough loss for anyone.
in the sport, not just for Jannik Sinner.
[Prakash]
The head-to-head record right there.
Jannik Sinner, seven-four up on Djokovic.
He's won the last several meetings.
It was an interesting one
at Wimbledon just a few years ago.
Novak beat him in five sets,
and he actually let Sinner know.
They wanted to have a chat, and he said,
"You're doing things
a little bit too rhythmic."
You should change things up.
And after giving that information,
Jannik Sinner has made huge strides.
So, beautiful to see Novak giving back
to that next generation
and elevating their game as well.
[Laura] It was actually Darren Cahill,
Jannik's coach, one of two coaches.
He's got Simone Vagnosi here this week.
But Darren asked Novak,
what do you think he can improve?
What do you think he needs
to do differently?
Novak's probably regretting giving him
that advice now
because he's really utilized it
and gone back to the drawing board,
got so much stronger
over the last 12 months or so,
you know, physically moving better
than ever, looks stronger,
and the changes that's made
to his weight of shot,
which was already his strength
in the first place.
Yeah, it's been pretty special
to watch him just get to work.
And, you know,
I feel privileged to watch him
from the side of the court sometimes
because the ball strike is so crisp,
it's so clean,
and the sound of it is like a g*nsh*t.
[Feliciano] Yeah, it's a different sound
when you see Sinner playing
and I think one thing
that separates him, Rafa,
Carlos, Novak from the other players
is the will to improve.
[chair umpire] End of warm-up.
[Feliciano] We know how good he is,
but he has improved his serve,
his net game as well, his movement,
he changed a little bit
his backhand a little bit as well.
So, it's incredible,
even being the best player in the world
and still have this will to improve.
This is, for me, one thing
that separates these guys from the rest.
[Prakash] And even through
all of the success and improvement
that he's had,
he still maintains that humility
as when he first broke onto the scene
making the final of the Miami Open
several years ago.
[crowd cheering, chanting]
[Prakash]
Got such a good attitude, Jannik Sinner.
This man, all eyes will be
on him tonight to see
if he can pull off the upset,
looking to make his first final here.
Novak Djokovic,
Jannik Sinner for the 12th time.
Let's head up to the booth now
with Tim Henman and Mark Petchey.
-Feli, you'll be joining them soon.
-[crowd cheering]
[Mark] Prakash, once again,
what a joy it is to watch this man play.
He's talked about longevity today
at the Joy Forum here
at the Riyadh Season
and talked about his inspirations,
Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Brady,
LeBron James,
in terms of how far he feels
he can take it on the tennis court.
How far can he go here
at the Six Kings Slam?
Interesting practice, Tim.
He was ultra-aggressive in practice,
not just with his ground strokes,
but also with his serve.
I'm fascinated to see
how hard and early he tries
to hit Jannik in some of these rallies.
[Tim] Yeah, I believe the last time
that Djokovic beat Sinner
was at the Tour Finals
at altitude in Turin.
That's the way he played that night.
[line umpire] Fault.
[Tim] It's going to take
something equally special
if Djokovic is gonna come out
on top tonight.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] He's been so impressive
in the last few years on serve.
He has elevated his numbers spectacularly.
In fact, if you go back to 2023
and look at the ATP Tour website,
he was actually the number one
in terms of service games won
that particular season.
Credit to Goran Ivanisevic
for little changes
that he made in his serve.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[chair umpire] Thirty-15.
[Mark] And success always finds imitators.
You can never be a duplicate
of the original, Henners, can you?
But certain traits are the same and it is
the ultimate compliment, I guess,
that we play-- pay Novak,
that Jannik looks
very much like Djokovic 2.0.
[Tim] Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, so many of those attributes…
[crowd cheering]
[Tim] …Sinner has looked to emulate,
and now when you start
to dissect his game,
you'd say that he's gonna be matching him
in many areas.
Sinner, such an aggressive ball striker.
Hard and flat on both wings, but…
but making too many mistakes.
His movement,
he's got stronger,
he's got faster, his balance is good.
[chair umpire] Game, Djokovic…
[Mark] Further evidence,
he's not so much a carpet b*mber
when it comes to his serve.
He's much more of a precision strike,
and he's got that one through Sinner,
and that is a very
promising start for Novak.
Alcaraz through to the final here
on Saturday at the Six Kings Slam,
already with a win over Taylor Fritz,
if you're just joining us.
And him and Jannik still very much
in the foothills of the slam mountain
as they try and climb the summit
that obviously Novak,
at the moment, is up and alone.
-Rarefied air.
-[Tim] Yeah, absolutely.
I thought it was an interesting pitch
when you were talking about the speed
with which Alcaraz has won
those first six slams.
A long way to go, but a promising start.
[line umpire] Fault.
[crowd applauding]
[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
[Mark] Maybe that's just a little bit
of an advantage early on here
for Jannik that he's played a match
on this particular court.
Good win over Tsitsipas
and Novak already with a buy
through to the semifinal.
Just had to try
and get to grips with this surface.
[line umpire] Fault.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] Incredible lob from Djokovic.
How he managed to miss the jumbotron
at the top of the stadium, I don't know.
[Tim] Yeah, the big forehand here
from Sinner and Djokovic on defense.
It was an impressive smash
from Sinner to finish the point.
[Mark] Interesting. He was out
earlier with Simone, practicing, Jannik,
and every time they were practicing
slice backhands to Sinner…
who was not countering
with a slice of his own.
Everything was hit with topspin.
It was almost as though
they were expecting Novak
to utilize that slice backhand
and try and get Jannik to slice back
and he was having none of it in practice.
And we saw that he was very quick
to get around
this cross-court slice from Djokovic.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[chair umpire] Fourteen-15.
[Tim] We've seen how high
the second serve can get up
on the return of that occasion.
Djokovic really looking to step in,
be aggressive,
get it below shoulder height.
[line umpire] Fault.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
-[chair umpire] Game, Sinner.
[Mark] Jannik wrapping up
his opening service hold comfortably.
That's something that he's done very well
against Djokovic
in their last few meetings.
It's been very difficult for Novak
to break center and in fact, Henners,
it goes back to their match, Davis Cup
back in '23 when he had
triple match point, of course,
Novak, to take Serbia through
to the final, couldn't take it at love-40.
And then on the main tour,
not including Six Kings Slam
from last year,
there were 40 straight holds
for Jannik against Novak,
against the best returner of all time.
There were two matches where Novak
didn't even carve out a break point.
[Tim] Phenomenal.
[line umpire] Fault.
[Tim] That's where Sinner deserves
so much credit
with the improvements
that he's made technically on serve,
and emphasizes how effective it is.
[Mark] Back to that kind of streak
of those five matches.
-[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
-[Mark] Broke Novak 17 times,
and had 36 break point opportunities.
Novak just breaking four times
and only 17 opportunities
for a guy that usually
has your service game in a stranglehold.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] Have you ever seen
anything like it?
[crowd cheering, applauding]
-[chair umpire] Fifteen-all.
-[Mark] Thirty-eight years young.
[Tim] Having a quiet word
with the Sinner camp.
Amazing rally, side to side,
applauded by Djokovic.
[indistinct cheering]
[Mark] Alejandro Resnicoff, the new physio
for Sinner since September,
he's been on the main tour
for over 15 years.
Alex Vittur also-- There is Alejandro.
Certainly been a lot of stability
on the coaching side for Jannik.
There's been a few
musical chairs, of course,
in that particular department for him,
in the fitness and physio,
for obvious reasons.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] In fact, of course, won Wimbledon
without any sort of support staff
in that region, but also underline
his mental strength last year
of course, played most of the season.
We didn't know at the time
with a body in the attic
until it obviously came out in Cincinnati.
He had unfortunately failed that drug test
and then had to deal
with the repercussions of that
and still played spectacular tennis.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark]
Well, it's a big forehand Novak has, Tim,
but there's a bazooka
at the other end of the court.
-[chair umpire] Thirty-40.
-[Tim] Yeah, absolutely.
Sinner getting the forehand into play
and just…
ripping it inside out,
getting the defensive reply,
all Djokovic could do,
but Sinner putting the smash away and…
early opportunity.
-[crowd applauding]
-[chair umpire speaking indistinctly]
[Mark] Tried a little bit
of stealth and deception
to try and upset the rhythm
of the Italian.
But Sinner was aware of what was coming
and it is an early break
for the world number two.
Feliciano Lopez,
I'm not sure if you saw the great point
that we had earlier on
but you have slipped out.
Let's rewind it.
This is Jannik at his absolute best.
Novak doing everything that he could
just to stay with the Italian
in this rally.
Just dropped that one a little bit short.
Look at the length from Sinner there.
That's a better shot from Novak.
But when you watch Jannik
and how often he changes line in a rally,
first down the line
with something aggressive,
it is so impressive
that he doesn't make more mistakes.
Djokovic going through his bag of tricks.
Sensational defense.
[Feliciano]
For a 38-year-old player, it's okay.
[commentators laughing]
[Mark] Well, some play the game,
don't they, Feli?
And some change it.
And Novak is changing it.
And it's great that obviously
we've had the likes of Roger playing on.
We've had Rafael, we've had Andy.
You know, legitimacy is a big thing,
as well as longevity.
And what this crossover is doing
for both Alcaraz and Sinner
with Novak out there,
is proving just how good they are.
[Feliciano]
Yeah, it's incredible, you know, I'm--
The longevity that Novak is showing,
we were talking about that
in the build-up
for this match and it's really incredible,
you know, how he's been taking care of
every single detail throughout his career.
[line umpire] Out.
[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
[scattered applause]
[crowd] Ooh.
[indistinct shouting]
-[line umpire] Out.
-[crowd applauding]
[Mark] Is that the better side
to go off the return
if you can redirect it from Novak, Tim,
to Sinner?
[Mark] Yes, I think so. It's, uh…
I think
when you're playing someone like Sinner,
any opportunity, any time you can step in,
you've just got to be…
as offensive as possible
because, you know,
Sinner is really capable
of beating Djokovic at his own game.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Tim] It's a camera angle
we don't often get to see,
but it really emphasizes
the pace
and the ball-striking capabilities.
This was a brilliant backhand
down the line,
but on the run,
Sinner whipping
that forehand cross-court. Top draw.
-[chair umpire] Forty-15.
-[crowd applauding]
[Mark] Just like Carlos, he's also gone
through a few iterations in his serve.
He's got a longer motion,
he's gone to a shorter motion,
he's gone from foot back to foot up,
and he's finally found something
that has worked so well for him.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] And that is what Novak
is gonna have to be tonight.
Expansive with how quickly
he takes the ball down the line.
-[chair umpire] Forty-30.
-[Feliciano] Taking the ball early now.
Novak being aggressive,
trying to shorten the points.
This is what I think he has to do tonight.
Toe to toe from the back of the court.
I don't think it's a good choice tonight
against Jannik Sinner.
[indistinct cheering, clapping]
[Mike]
Yeah, the court was opened up a little bit
by the slight mishit out wide
without pace, but it's three-one.
And we've been talking
about how Djokovic has struggled
to break Sinner in their recent meetings.
This was from last year where he got
very close, of course, deciding set,
did get three breaks to serve.
Uh, Feli, this is what he did.
Is that a little too predictable?
Or is that the right play?
Some decent length on a lot of those.
[Feliciano] Decent length.
I think it's easy to say
that you're predictable
when you play Sinner
because no matter what you do,
you're gonna have a good response
from your opponent.
So, it's difficult, you know,
where you're gonna target
when you play Sinner because…
-he has no weakness, honestly.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] Just reflecting on that stat page
only going to the forehand 4% of the time
you wonder whether he needs
maybe to go faster the forehand
to open up the backhand.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
-[chair umpire] Thirty-love.
[indistinct shouting]
[fan] Let's go, Nole.
[Mark] Yeah,
it's just not been easy to devise a plan,
of course, off the tour for a hiatus
of over three months for Jannik.
His last season, he did not lose
in straight sets once,
and that's the first time
that had happened
on the ATP Tour since 2005,
when Federer went through an entire season
without losing in straight sets.
[Djokovic groans loudly]
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
-[chair umpire] Game, Djokovic.
[Mark] Well, he's not well-placed
in terms of the scoreboard,
but that was a well-placed second serve,
something that he's
worked hard on over the years.
Uh, a man that's working hard
with Jannik Sinner
to make him the best player possible
is Simone Vagnozzi,
who's with Laura Robson.
[Laura] Yeah, and we just saw Jannik
have a bit of a laugh
because I think
he enjoys your interviews a lot.
-Yeah, yeah, I will enjoy for sure.
-[laughs]
In this particular match-up, obviously,
Jannik has been outstanding
in the recent head-to-head.
What is it, do you think,
that he does well
in this particular match-up?
It's always
a really tough match with Nole,
he's playing unbelievable tennis
at this age.
Uh, you have to be aggressive,
you have to try to make him run a lot,
you know, use the young age,
the difference of the age,
and try that Novak will be tired.
How much harder is that
in a best-of-three scenario there?
Because obviously, when they've met before
in semi-finals of Grand Slams,
Novak has played four
or five matches already.
In a situation like this where he's fresh,
-how much of a challenge does that pose?
-[chair umpire] Time.
For sure,
it's one of the most difficult challenges.
And, uh, for sure,
three sets is better for Nole.
Uh, he's hitting the ball
really, really clean
and it will be a really nice match.
They start really well both.
[Laura] Well, so far,
do you think Jannik is doing well?
[Simone]
Yeah, it's mixing up the serve quite well.
The court is a little bit roughy,
so the ball is bouncing a lot.
Not easy to Nole
when Jannik is keeping the serve.
-So, let's see with the next game.
-[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
[Simone] But like I said before,
you have to be aggressive,
try to move him.
[Laura] Thank you so much.
I'll let you get back to the coaching.
[Simone] Thank you.
[Mark] He's done a good job there.
Laura's done a nice job
with the interview as well.
That's not an easy thing
to do in a second language.
And Simone, who has been
very much instrumental
in the rise of Jannik Sinner,
getting applauded these days.
Because at the start of their journey,
there was a lot of chatter,
people very dubious
about the choice from Jannik.
[Feliciano]
Yeah, because I think the people,
they didn't wanna give credit to Simone
because of his, you know,
success as a player, I think.
But he proved everyone wrong.
[crowd applauding]
[Mark] He's not being afraid
of making some tough decisions.
That loss to Tsitsipas in Australia,
then Jettison, Riccardo Piatti,
who had been with forever.
In fact Alex Vitor is looking
after all his business interests
that's sitting courtside here
was one of the reasons
that Jannik went up north
to go to Ricardo's.
-It was a bold move
-[chair umpire] Game, Sinner.
[Mark] But trying
to be the best at something
like in a sport that is as elite as this,
you're gonna have to make
some courageous decisions.
-[Feliciano] You have to be brave enough.
-[Tim] Yeah, absolutely.
Big decisions and…
reflect on his serve,
the changes he's made there.
From what was a little bit of a liability
a few years ago,
now he's a huge weapon,
able to hit the spots at pace.
That last serve, 211 kilometers an hour
into the corner.
-[line umpire] Out.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Feliciano] Also, I have the feeling
that his serve is more accurate now
since he started
to toss the ball a little bit lower.
I think the timing…
is better than before.
[line umpire] Fault.
[Tim] Listen, when you're changing a shot,
you guys both know this,
haphazard alchemy, they can call it,
because you're never quite sure
what is gonna happen
when you go and try and change it.
Prior to Rome, of course, in 2023,
he changed his service motion,
shortened quicker,
the ball toss straightened up
a little bit,
wasn't too far to the left,
but then obviously lost early
at Roland Garros,
took the opportunity
because that loss
reacted well to adversity.
[crowd cheering]
[Mark] Smart shot from Jannik
to then go back to his pinpoint serve…
-[chair umpire] Thirty-15.
-…and then obviously
we see what we are seeing these days
in terms of what a devastating weapon
it has become
but there's no blueprint
when you're trying to change
a tennis stroke at this level
that's gonna absolutely guarantee you
an outcome first time around.
[Tim] No definitely not
and when you think about the schedule
and how often the players are competing.
Not too many windows of opportunity.
[line umpire] Fault.
-[crowd cheering]
-[Mark] So good.
[crowd applauding]
That's an absolute geometry lesson
from Djokovic.
[Tim]
Yeah, brilliant backhand down the line.
-[chair umpire] Forty-15.
-[Tim] From that camera angle…
Sinner did well,
but Djokovic back behind.
-Beautiful angle breaking the sightline.
-[crowd chanting "Novak"]
[Feliciano] You see the best player
executing the back behind.
Novak Djokovic, probably, huh?
[Tim] He's right up there,
he's right up there in most categories.
-[line umpire] Out.
-[crowd cheering]
[Mark]
I don't think it'll be long before we see…
-[chair umpire] Forty-30.
-…some pretty big second serves
on the deuce side from Novak.
Triple digit stuff out wide
to the forehand and even into the body.
[Tim]
Yeah, that kick serve, Sinner is onto it.
He's looking to take it early again.
Get it below shoulder height
because of the altitude,
if it gets big on you.
-[Mark] Great tennis.
-[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Point, Djokovic.
[Mark] Using every millimeter
of this court here in Saudi Arabia.
[chair umpire] Game point, deuce.
-Sinner leads, four games to three.
-[Mark] Just like Fritz was having
to do against Alcaraz,
Djokovic trying to tailgate Sinner
throughout the course of this opening set.
-[crowd cheering]
-[upbeat song playing faintly]
[Mark] ANB Arena.
We've been taking you
inside and around 1000 capacity.
This is a little indoor drone
that's going to fly over the heads
of these fans that have come in here.
He is a big favorite
here in Saudi Arabia, is Novak Djokovic.
And you can see by all of these fans
and the chanting in the previous game.
And it has been an outlier in terms of,
obviously, the hologram show
coming in here
and all of the things that they've tried
to bring into this particular competition.
You referenced it as well, Tim,
the lower camera angle.
And everything going down well.
And you can see
just how engaged both of these two are.
[Tim] Yeah, absolutely,
an important game there for Djokovic
to stay in touch but he stayed in touch
with some brilliant play.
[chair umpire] Time.
[Tim] Taking the ball early, looking
to get on that front foot, proactive.
Now, he's got to try and create
an opportunity on the Sinner serve,
which, as you've mentioned, Petch,
has been few and far between.
[crowd cheering]
[Mark]
He's got the benefit of the new ba*ls.
If he can hit his target,
it's going to be tough for Novak.
Having said that, if he doesn't,
the potential for Djokovic
to try and get the ball quickly
and deep back to the Italian
does exist.
-[crowd cheering]
-[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
[crowd cheering]
-[Mark] Open a couple of points…
-[chair umpire] Thirty-love.
…and Jannik glues it to the line.
When you look under the hood as Novak does
in terms of statistics and tactics
playing against these players
nobody's been more diligent.
There's not an easy solution
to the Sinner problem for him.
-[crowd cheering]
-[chair umpire] Forty-love.
[Feliciano] Taking advantage now
of the new ba*ls. Jannik Sinner.
[Tim] Terry Crews.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Game, Sinner.
[Mark]
Terry Crews host America's Got Talent.
-This man's got some serving talent.
-[chair umpire] Sinner leads.
Five games to three.
[Tim] And we talk
about hitting your targets with the serve
and those ball cans are in the corner.
They would have been
knocked down continuously.
[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
-[crowd cheering]
-[Mark] Beautifully steered down the line.
[chair umpire] Thirty-love.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Mark] Made to look easy.
This is over the high part of the net,
changing direction at pace.
-[crowd cheering]
-[Feliciano] Not as good as Carlitos.
[laughing]
-Sinner is so fast…
-[chair umpire] Thirty-15.
…especially side to side,
but also running forward
he's been… so fast lately.
[Mark] And you can see
Jannik's actually having to change
his footwork pattern, isn't he?
He's actually having to take little steps.
He can't slide on this surface
to go there,
which is what he'd normally do.
[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Forty-15.
[Mark] Staying in touch, Djokovic…
wanting… Sinner to serve out this set.
-[Tim] Yeah, it's amazing.
-[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Point, Djokovic.
[Mark] That's what you
were talking about, Feli, back in behind.
-[Feliciano] Incredible. After the serve…
-[chair umpire] Sinner leads,
-five games to four.
-…many times he got
the players back behind.
It's incredible,
the way he executes that shot.
[upbeat song playing faintly]
[Mark] He's found a nice groove, Tim,
and rhythm on his serve here
in terms of what he's trying to do.
The plus one, he's very quick onto it.
It's definitely the playbook
against Jannik
is to try and keep the points shorter.
The more you allow him
to build through six, seven,
eight, nine shots a rally,
you feel you're coming off second best.
And that's what Novak has done.
It's never a short night
in this part of the world, is it?
Like a late night and a beautiful setting.
That's where we are sitting.
["Yeah" playing]
[Mark] It is a captivating city.
[Mark] It's once a small, little oasis,
it is a big oasis these days
-for so many things.
-[chair umpire] Time.
[Mark] And we are housed inside
the ANB Arena for tonight,
the second of three Arabian nights
where the best and the best
get to tee it up against each other.
[crowd cheering]
[Mark] The reigning king
of the Six Kings Slam, Jannik Sinner,
looking to try and put
this opening set to bed.
[crowd cheering]
[Feliciano]
That wide serve is so efficient…
-[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
-…managed to execute it like this.
[Mark] Just wonder whether Novak
actually needs to gamble big time,
and just actually get up on the baseline,
and try and cut the angle off,
and not go for…
sort of quantity
which is obviously he's won,
but just go for quality,
just try and connect with two
to put some pressure on Jannik
early on in a service game.
[crowd cheering]
[Mark] Otherwise you feel that
-that's what he's just hoping for…
-[chair umpire] Fifteen-all.
-…a mistake from Jannik, which may come.
-[crowd chanting "Let's go Nole"]
[Tim] And you think at this stage
he hasn't really had
too many opportunities.
Djokovic,
how is he going to make it happen?
I don't think he can rely on Sinner
making an unforced error like that.
He's got to take a risk.
[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Thirty-15.
[Tim] It's effortless power, isn't it?
It's 208 kilometers an hour,
but you feel like you could serve
hours on end hitting the corners.
-[crowd chanting indistinctly]
-[Mark] Yeah.
[crowd cheering]
[Mark] An uncertain outcome
when you go to change a tennis shot
-is not the reason for inaction…
-[chair umpire] Forty-15.
…and you can see
what it has brought for Sinner.
Many spoils,
spoiling many players' dreams,
including one of the best,
if not the best,
that has ever played the game, Sinner,
cruising to this opening set.
-[crowd cheering]
-[Tim] Another one.
[chair umpire] Game for six…
[Mark] And he looks virtually untouchable.
-[crowd cheering]
-[chair umpire] Six games to four.
[Mark] A commanding hold of serve
in the tenth game of the opening set
sees the Italian just a set away
from the final here at the Six Kings Slam.
Laura, you don't kind of think of Jannik
necessarily as one of those
kind of b*mb squad servers,
but when you watch him out here,
you realize just how difficult it is
to actually get any traction
in a returning game.
[Laura] Yeah, a bit of a serve bot
first set, to be honest.
I think from courtside,
what's making it so difficult
for Djokovic to try and pick a spot
is that he's throwing in that kick serve,
especially on the outside,
moving it out wide.
And from there, you know,
I totally agree with you.
I think Djokovic needs to do
something different with the positioning.
But it's where does he go, to be honest?
Because then as soon as it feels
like he can come a little bit further in,
then the kick serve gets thrown in.
He feels
like he's got to take a step back,
wait for it to drop a little more,
and then you're kind of back
to square one.
So, yeah, just very tricky
to try and pick his moments here,
but that's what Jannik Sinner has improved
massively over the last 12 months.
All those changes in the serve
that you mentioned
at the start of the match
have paid dividends,
and you see it so clearly
on a night like this.
[Mark] Yeah, Novak
would have come out, you would feel,
with a slightly different plan
to try and disrupt the rhythm.
But when you can't actually
lay string on ball,
it makes it very difficult
to implement a plan.
[Tim] Yeah, absolutely. I mean,
it was a serving masterclass there.
-We just had a quick look at the stats.
-[chair umpire] Time.
[Tim] 83% of first serves
made by Jannik Sinner. Nine aces.
[crowd cheering]
[Mark] And his…
[chair umpire]
Second set. Djokovic's serve.
…his average match tally
for aces is six in total,
so a very strong number for the Italian.
[crowd cheering]
-[line umpire] Out!
-[crowd cheering]
-[chair umpire] Love-15.
-[Feliciano] Must be frustrating enough
for Novak, not being able
to find a way to travel.
Sinner lately considering
he's been able to do it
throughout his career, 99% of the times.
On the other hand,
he's been so competitive
at this stage of his career,
making semis in all majors.
-[line umpire] Out!
-[Feliciano] For a guy like him,
with that competitive spirit,
I don't know.
[chair umpire] Fifteen-all.
[Mark] It's a monumental achievement
you feel this year,
particularly as he obviously
is not playing as much,
he's not putting his body
out there as often,
understandably so,
to be able to still reach the final four
of every major this season at this age.
-[line umpire] Fault!
-[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Fifteen-30.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd cheering]
[Mark] Once again, it's front-foot tennis.
Full court press from Sinner.
-[chair umpire] Fifteen-40.
-[Tim] So quick to react.
Any opportunity to step in,
Fl*ttening it out down the line,
getting Djokovic on the defensive.
[crowd cheering]
[Mark] Djokovic at the end of that rally
-was nowhere to be seen.
-[chair umpire] Game, Sinner.
[Mark] And he is drifting
out of the rear-view mirror
-of Sinner already, not even bothering…
-[chair umpire] First game of set.
to sit down here.
Djokovic perhaps just trying
to change up the tempo
and the rhythm after the changeover.
[Feliciano] Good guessing now…
-[Mark] Yeah.
-…from Sinner going
immediately to the backhand side.
[Tim]
Yeah, it's one-way traffic right now.
Very difficult to see
how Djokovic can get back into this match
unless… Sinner's level drops.
-[Feliciano] Significantly. [chuckles]
-[Tim] Yeah.
-[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
-[crowd applauding]
[crowd cheering]
[crowd applauding]
[chair umpire] Thirty-love.
[Mark] Just like he made
so many opponents in the past
feel as though
they had to play perfect tennis,
the tables have turned.
That's exactly how he's feeling out there.
[Feliciano chuckles]
[fan chanting "Let's go, Novak"]
[crowd applauding]
[crowd applauding]
[chair umpire] Forty-love.
[fan] Come on, Novak!
-[crowd applauding]
-[chair umpire] Game, Sinner.
-Sinner leads…
-[Mark] The most optimal of serving
-…two-love.
-…from Sinner here, yeah.
[Tim] Just nothing for Djokovic
to get his teeth stuck into
-because…
-[crowd chanting "Nole, Nole, Nole"]
…can barely get the ball back
into play given the accuracy
and power of Sinner's serve.
When he does,
Sinner then just dictating with those…
heavy ground strokes.
-[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
-[crowd cheering]
[Tim] It's only the third game
in the second set
you feel like
it's a must-win game for Djokovic.
[Mark] When he is trailing like this,
you'll see him do this.
If he can get some quick points,
he won't spend the 25 seconds
getting ready, composed.
He'll try and play within like 15
and get to the line, try and hustle…
-[line umpire] Fault.
-…the returner across the court,
not allow them as much time to settle,
do anything.
[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Thirty-love.
[crowd chanting
"Let's go, Nole, let's go"]
[crowd applauding]
[Mark] And that is the advantage
of how quickly
-he goes line with his backhand…
-[chair umpire] Thirty-love.
…that when he takes it over
the safer lower part of the net,
you've still got a guard
against the one down the line.
So, there's space
being created consistently
by the way
that Sinner employs his tactics.
[line umpire] Out!
[crowd cheering]
[Feliciano] It must be tough for him now
-to find a way to shorten the points.
-[chair umpire] Forty-15.
[Feliciano] He's never been able
to finish the points in one or two shots
throughout his career.
[Mark]
If he keeps hitting those second serves,
-they're gonna be short points.
-[commentators chuckling]
-[Mark] Yeah, that was an important hold.
-[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Game, Djokovic.
[Mark] Sinner, Alcaraz have come out
-of Djokovic's shadow. Shadow is…
-[chair umpire] Sinner leads,
-two games to one.
-…where Djokovic is
in this particular match at the moment,
down a set and a break.
[fan cheering]
[Tim] Absolutely needed to steady
the ship there.
[Mark] Yeah, and obviously real estate
in this part of the world
is pretty pricey,
and the man that is controlling
it is Jannik Sinner.
Look at the differential
between these two in terms of that, Feli.
[Feliciano] Yeah, we see the hit point
on the rallies from Djokovic and Sinner.
Sinner is taking the ball
way earlier than Djokovic.
[Tim] I mean, it's staggering,
that difference, isn't it?
-[Feliciano] Yeah.
-[Tim] Normally you're thinking,
-well, if it's half a meter, that's…
-[Feliciano] Yeah, it's--
-Yeah, three meters, maybe.
-…quite a lot.
-[Feliciano] Yeah, maybe more.
-[Tim] It's two and a half.
-[Tim] Nearly three meters.
-[Feliciano] Yeah.
[Tim] Taking time away.
Taking the ball early,
but then also hitting
with that huge power and penetration.
[Mark] He's got one of the highest IQs.
We look at the way that Jannik plays,
obviously,
and you look at his stroke production,
looking at his serve out here.
-We talk a lot about strokes…
-[chair umpire] Time.
…but his actual sort of acumen
when it comes to watching tennis
and understanding, "How to beat players,"
-is something else.
-[crowd cheering]
[Mark] I've been lucky enough
to know that how much--
He doesn't just watch men's tennis.
He is right down in the weeds
in the women's game as well.
He knows
how all of those players are playing.
Paolini actually alluded to it last week,
talking about how the fact
that he came up to her coach
and talked about how she wasn't
doing something in her matches.
He's obsessed.
-[Tim] Student of the game.
-[Mark] Yeah.
[Feliciano] Well, proper student.
[Mark] Well, he's the professor now,
-not the student.
-[Feliciano laughs]
-[Mark] Yeah.
-[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
[Feliciano] He has also
the professional look…
in a way.
[Mark] And obviously hiring a top coach
like Darren Cahill as well.
He's looking for that wellspring
of information,
but he's also somebody
that is self-educated out there.
[fan] Don't give up.
[Mark] Creeping in a bit,
how aggressive will he be
with his footwork here
[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Thirty-love.
[Mark] Trying a few different things
in that rally,
tight to the baseline on the returner,
Sinner then had to retreat.
Try to play with a little bit more
shape, height over the net.
Again Sinner's
coming up with all the answers.
[crowd cheering]
[Feliciano] Again using
the wide serve on the deuce.
So efficiently Sinner…
has been rewarded
by hitting this…
wide serve on the deuce many times lately.
Not only in this match,
but throughout the season as well.
[line umpire] Fault.
[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Game, Sinner.
[Feliciano] Novak willing to do anything,
changing his position on the return.
[Mark] I mean, it doesn't seem like it
at the moment, Feli, but I mean,
you kind of feel as though the data
that's getting generated, game in,
game out now, behind Sinner's service,
is that he's going
to have to do something.
[Feliciano] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
He's really trying, but, you know…
[Mark] He's trying,
but he's not even winning points, is he?
[Feliciano] No, not winning points at all.
[Mark] Love service game
after love service game, he's…
Going to have
to try and break this rhythm somehow.
Easier said than done.
[line umpire] Fault.
[crowd applauding]
[Mark] I'm surprised he hasn't been bigger
with his second and taken more risk
into the body because that
is just fueling the confidence
for Sinner when he keeps
getting that ball being fed there.
[indistinct shouting]
[Tim] Yeah, that second serve,
only a 146 kilometers an hour.
It wasn't deep in the box.
Sinner climbing all over it.
[chair umpire] Fifteen-all.
[crowd applauding]
[line umpire] Out.
[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Fifteen-30.
[Feliciano] Good reaction now
from Sinner to the backing
behind shot from Novak.
[Tim] He was aware.
-[Feliciano] Starting face-off. [laughs]
-[Tim] Yeah.
[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Thirty-all.
[indistinct shouting]
[crowd chanting]
[indistinct dialogue]
[crowd cheering]
[Mark] Unarmed, so he says.
[chair umpire] Thirty-40.
[Mark] Deadly as we've seen from that
Hawkeye graphic inside the court,
but also absolutely lethal
on the perimeter.
[line umpire] Fault.
-[line umpire] Out.
-[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Game, Sinner.
[Mark] And the onslaught continues
[chair umpire]
Sinner leads four games to one.
[Mark] And it's been a perfect quarter
of an hour in this second set
for the world number two.
The two players
that have tasted slam success,
the only two players
that have tasted slam success
in 24 and 25.
Looks as though it's
going to be the Six Kings Slam
final championship match
at the Big Money Weekend
on Saturday.
#SixKingsSlam if you want to get
involved and see what's been going on.
There's an awful lot going on outside.
Pink does seem to be the color out there,
and maybe
that's the right color for Carlos
to have picked in terms of his kit.
Maybe he knew something
that nobody else knew.
[lively music playing]
And just maybe the pain
of past defeats for Novak,
it just padlocked the door
of possibility for him
because we expected him
to come out here potentially…
-[chair umpire] Time.
-…with something a little bit different,
but it has been a steady diet
of the same kind of success
that Jannik's had
against him in the last six meetings.
Of course, you wouldn't have
picked the dominance that both Carlos
and Jannik have had
in the 24 and five.
Of course, Novak won three out
of the four majors in 23.
He's eclipsed everybody else
in that department as Djokovic,
but he's getting eclipsed here
by the Italian.
[line umpire] Fault.
[crowd cheering]
[Feliciano] That backhand down the line
for me, not this one in particular,
but this is for me
the most difficult shot in tennis,
the down the line backhand,
especially changing direction
when you're going
to an exchange cross-court
and you have to change
with the backhand down the line.
For me, that's the most difficult shot.
These guys, both of them,
they make it look so easy.
[crowd cheering]
Especially when the ball stays low
and you have to go down the line.
That is for me one
of the most difficult shots in tennis.
[Mark] Makes it surprising when
he misses a layup like that.
[crowd cheering]
-[Feliciano] Not the best slice ever.
-[chair umpire] Fifteen-30.
It's time for Sinner.
[crowd chanting] Novak! Novak!
[Feliciano] Give Djokovic the opportunity
to take the ball early and hit the winner.
[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Fifteen-40.
[Mark] First genuine syntax error there
from Sinner,
and that has just opened up the door.
Would be absolute cinema
if Djokovic could turn this around
from this situation.
[fan] Go, Sinner!
[crowd cheering]
[Feliciano] Perfect play from Sinner now,
-[chair umpire] Thirty-40.
-…open up the court with the serve
and then…
finishing the point
with this beautiful forehand
when Djokovic was… off,
completely off the court already.
[line umpire] Fault.
[crowd applauding]
[crowd cheering]
[Mark] The good artists copy,
the great ones steal.
-And that is exactly what Jannik has done.
-[chair umpire] Deuce.
[Mark] Big second serve down the tee,
just like Novak does.
And then look at the movement
off the back end of it.
Superb.
[crowd chanting indistinctly]
[Feliciano] Sliding on hard court,
especially on that…
On that court here,
particularly, being very grippy,
it's a bit dangerous.
[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Advantage Sinner.
[fan] Go, Jannik!
[Mark] You can see a lack
of energy in Novak Djokovic's legs.
I don't know if it's lack
of energy or lack of hope.
[line umpire] Fault.
[chair umpire] Game, Sinner.
New ba*ls, please.
Sinner leads five games to one.
[Mark] Still hoping to try and find
the revenge to Novak against Jannik.
It hasn't started yet ever
since that loss in the Davis Cup.
Heartbreaking loss it was.
[Feliciano] I was there.
[Mark] And they still had a chance
in the doubles, didn't they, after that?
[Feliciano] Yeah.
Love-forty.
Five-all, love-forty?
[Mark] Yep.
[chair umpire] Fifteen-love.
[line umpire] Fault.
[chair umpire] Fifteen-all.
[indistinct shouting]
[crowd applauding]
[chair umpire] Fifteen-30.
[Mark] Casual genius.
[Feliciano] Way too good today.
[crowd chanting, clapping hands]
[line umpire] Fault.
[Feliciano] Again,
the backing behind shoulder.
Signature shot for Novak Djokovic.
[chair umpire] Thirty-all.
[Mark] He's going to need a myriad of ways
to beat Sinner, though, isn't he?
Just one strategy is not going
to be enough.
He needs many threads.
[crowd applauding]
[Mark] He's tried a rally
in the last ten minutes or so.
A little mini opportunity in the Italians'
previous service game.
He might give himself
one last change over here.
-[crowd cheering]
-[Mark] He duly does.
[chair umpire] Game, Djokovic.
[Mark] But he's going to need a dramatic
fall off in form from Sinner,
which we're not expecting
to turn things around here.
[upbeat music playing]
[Mark]
By the end of the season, Feli,
he's going to have the full grocery
sort of list of things
that he needs to do in the offseason
to potentially come back
and get himself
through to the business ends
of slams to be able
to potentially beat these guys.
But obviously it gets tougher there
because you've got to throw in
the fact that it's best to fight.
[Feliciano] That's my point
when I was talking before about Novak.
Is he happy enough now, being in the semis
of all majors this year,
but not being able
to really travel Sinner and Carlos?
That's for me the most important thing,
you know, for him
to reflect after this season.
[Mark]
Crowd trying to give Novak flowers here.
They want more of him, of course…
-[chair umpire] Time.
-[Mark] …they will get more.
He will exit stage door left.
Potentially in the next five minutes
but he'll be back for an encore
in the third and fourth place on Saturday.
[line umpire] Fault.
[fan] Go, Sinner!
-[crowd cheering]
-[Mark] Unbelievable.
How has he turned that around?
[chair umpire] Love-15.
[Feliciano] This is what
they've been waiting for all day.
[crowd cheering]
The score didn't help, unfortunately.
[line umpire] Fault.
[chair umpire] Thank you. Quiet, please.
Thank you. Thank you.
-[line umpire] Out.
-[Mark] Magnificent.
So many quick second serves down the tee
on the outside on the second serve.
There he just bends one out wide.
[indistinct chanting]
[Mark] Everything done with purpose,
with great intention.
[Feliciano] Yeah, it's been very
effective, this serve.
[line umpire] Fault.
[chair umpire] Thirty-15.
[indistinct shouting]
-[line umpire] Out.
-[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] Forty-15.
[Mark] It's been clinical,
it's been swift.
And he is special.
[Feliciano] As Tim Henman likes to say,
"Clinical performance from the Italian."
[crowd cheering]
[chair umpire] And second match,
Sinner six-four, six-two.
[Mark] Two best players on the planet
will tilt for the six million-dollar
prize money check
at the Six Kings Slam on Saturday.
Sinner continues
his dominance over Djokovic
and that was simply world class.
[Feliciano] Simply world class, Mark,
I think.
It was such a difficult task
for Novak today
to beat Jannik Sinner.
[energetic music playing]
[Feliciano] He looked better
in every aspect of the game, I think.
Anyway, a lot of credit to Mr. Djokovic
for still putting
a good performance today.
Not enough against Sinner, but I want
to give him a lot of credit.
You know, he's 38 years old of age
and he still
competes at the highest level.
[Mark] Yeah, he's going to call time
on his crew when he decides to.
But what he has decided to do,
which is pretty nice,
is that he's decided
to settle up with Andrew Castle
to have a chat after his defeat.
Here's Novak and Andy.
Well, this was a phenomenal performance
from Jannik Sinner,
but how good was it
to watch Novak Djokovic fighting,
fighting in that match?
I'm so sorry, but thank you
for being with us at the end.
What did you make
of the way he played first?
Um…
Honestly, it felt like a… [chuckles]
Thank you for your support.
Thank you, guys.
[crowd cheering]
First of all,
thank you for coming in big numbers,
obviously, yesterday, today.
Last year for Six Kings Slam,
every match was packed house, and…
Riyadh, you really love tennis.
We love you guys as well.
[crowd cheering]
And…
I'm sorry you couldn't see
a longer match today.
It's his fault, not my fault.
[crowd laughing]
I tried to intimidate him a little bit
that last game
with a love-15 point,
but it didn't work.
Look, it felt like a runaway train,
you know.
He was…
He was smacking the ball from all corners.
I was just trying to hang in there,
but he was just too good,
so well done
to him and good luck in the finals.
[crowd applauding]
[Andrew] Novak,
you've won your 100th tournament
this year.
You've won all the Grand Slams,
you've been out there for a long time.
How do you cope
with trying to keep these guys back,
with Jannik and with Carlos?
How do you deal with that,
the pain every day, the training
that you have to go through?
It's worth it?
It's always worth it.
It's always worth it
because the love for the game
and the passion for tennis is there.
Excuse my language, but it's never
nice when somebody kicks your a*s
like this on the court.
-[crowd laughing]
-But it definitely is…
amazing that I'm still, you know…
being able to play at the high level,
being top ten, top five.
It's a good feeling.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
Look, I'm trying my best.
I have the body that I have.
I'm grateful for everything
that the God…
has granted me in my life.
It's been an incredible journey,
an amazing career.
There's so much to celebrate.
But I would like if somebody
can trade a younger body with me.
That would be nice. Um…
Just for a year so I can try
to win against these guys.
But jokes aside, look.
Um… You know,
I still have the drive, obviously.
I know that it's becoming
much more difficult for me
to get a win against Jannik
and Carlos particularly.
But, you know, I'm going to still keep
on challenging them until it happens.
-Let's see.
-[crowd applauding]
[Andrew] Ladies and gentlemen,
your appreciation
for the great champion
that is Novak Djokovic.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
Jannik, stop being so mean
to older people.
[chuckles]
No, I think he said everything.
He's such a great role model
for especially us young,
the younger generation.
Seeing him competing, seeing him practice
and training for this moment,
it's amazing.
You know, what he has achieved
in his career, it's incredible.
I see him as a real idol.
To play against him is such a huge honor
and privilege, so obviously
I'm happy about today,
but I'm also happy to see him
in tournaments, to see him around.
Thank you all, fans.
You love and need him, so it's amazing.
[Andrew] Can I ask you,
have you been changing things
in your game?
I mean, your serve today,
I mean, that has to be one
of the best serving performances
I've ever seen from you.
Do you feel that way?
Yes, I do feel that way.
I wish it would be every time like this,
but, no, I…
You know, we try to work on things,
we try to get better
as a player, you know?
You have days where certain
or particular things work very well,
so, obviously, today,
the serve worked really, really well and…
But, yeah, we all try to improve,
so, let's see.
[Andrew] And now, on to Saturday night,
and you're playing this man,
Carlos Alcaraz, again.
Do you look forward to that contest?
Yeah, I mean, I look forward every time
when we face each other.
It's great for us. It's great--
It's going to be a great battle.
I try to be as ready as I can,
but it's obviously a huge, huge honor
to play against him again.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to it.
I hope you guys do also, and we all hope
for a great Saturday night.
[Andrew] Okay. Ladies and gentlemen,
the winner tonight, Jannik Sinner.
-Thank you, Jannik.
-[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Andrew] There are three tennis ba*ls
coming up into the crowd,
as you know, signed by Jannik.
If you make a bit of noise, it would help.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Prakash]
Well, that was an absolute dream match,
to be able to watch,
but it was Jannik Sinner
who played like a dream out there.
Couldn't really put a foot wrong.
Tim, he did so many things
exceptionally well out there,
but what placed him in front
virtually throughout the entire match?
[Tim] Oh, for me, the serving
was just absolutely incredible.
In the first set,
I think he served 83% first serves,
he hardly dropped points.
He served nine aces against,
arguably, the greatest returner
our sport has ever seen,
and that gives you such a good platform.
It obviously frees you up so much
when you're holding serve comfortably,
to be so aggressive on his baseline game.
So, yeah, an amazing performance.
He was absolutely brilliant--
Joining us, Jannik.
Unbelievable stuff out there.
Congratulations.
A beautiful performance.
You seem so locked in, as you always are,
but do you ever get sort of lost
at any point, thinking,
"This is still a huge occasion,
huge arena,
Novak Djokovic on the other side"?
Well, of course, it's always--
You know, when you play against,
you know, these guys,
the best players in the world, you have…
Different aura, you know,
from the other side,
so, things can change so, so quickly.
You know, I was double break point down.
If he makes one break, you know,
you never know what's gonna happen.
And he is, you know,
as we all know, very, very talented.
So, you know, he can make winners
from all around the court.
So… But again,
I was serving very, very well today.
I actually don't remember
the last time when I served--
[Tim] I'm glad you said that.
We were just talking about it.
-[Laura] He was just raving about it.
-[commentators chuckling]
Yeah, I mean,
I wish it would be like this always.
So, what was…
I mean, you've made some technical changes
over the years to your serve, but…
What's the secret to this type of serving?
The rhythm? Is it the ball toss?
What is it?
Yeah, well,
the ball toss is obviously the key.
Also, to don't give, you know,
any perspective from the opponent.
But also the rhythm,
we try to work a lot on the rhythm,
what's the right, you know,
height of the ball toss,
because if it's too high,
then I go out of rhythm.
If it's too low, it's the same.
So, yeah,
we worked a lot in the past month.
We're serving hours and hours, and…
but if this is the result, I'm very happy.
-[Prakash chuckles]
-Practice playing off.
Well, I tell you what, aside from the aces
and all the winners you hit today,
we did have a few spectacular long points,
but Jannik, this one in particular,
I want you to talk us
through this magnificent point.
[Sinner] It was very early.
Yeah, you know,
we both tried to move us around.
It's always quite physical against Novak.
But this ball here, no, not yet.
-There is--
-[Tim] This one.
-[overlapping dialogue]
-[Sinner] This is a very, very hard one.
Yeah, this one now,
I don't know where it actually passed.
-[Prakash chuckles]
-[Tim chuckles]
[Sinner] It's amazing trying to improve
also some net skills.
He played much better
than I did on the net…
[chuckling] …so, if you have
any tips for me, I'm free to hear.
How conscious are you about
keeping the points shorter against Novak
in this situation
where he's striking the ball really well
from the baseline?
Is that something that you're, you know,
assessing every point as it comes,
or that's just the mentality
from the start?
No, it's-- You know,
we always play with the score.
You know,
especially when maybe you're tired,
and you try to finish
the point a little bit earlier.
Sometimes, you know, you have to dig deep,
that's normal and that's how it is,
but, yeah, changing up, you know,
also the pace, it's very important,
and also the length of the…
of the rallies is also very important,
because you don't want to play
always in the same way,
'cause then you give something
very easy, you know, to the opponent.
So, yeah, we work on that.
Sometimes I do think
some tips from my corner
also comes at times,
so I'm very happy.
One of the most beautiful things, Jannik,
is watching you and Carlos keep improving
based on what you need to do
against each other.
We saw there
at that point a beautiful slice,
some volleys up there looking sharp.
Is that one of the aspects
you're looking to continue to improve,
especially with that rivalry?
Yeah, I mean, for me,
it's very important to improve.
As you said,
that's for me the most important
because at the end
of the career, I would love to say
that I did everything possible, you know,
to achieve the 100% of myself.
The success, you know,
it will never change me
as a person, and I think
this is also very important, and…
And yeah, you know, you need rivalries,
you need better players than you.
Carlos is, you know, an all-around player,
you know, incredible talent.
You know,
we saw this today on court, you know…
drop shots, you know,
he can do everything, and…
Yeah, and I look up to these guys,
I look up to Novak,
I look up to Carlos, and yeah, also to…
to have a point where I can say,
"Okay, that's very important
for me to improve,"
and this is exactly
what motivates me also.
Tell you what, Jannik,
you were completely sensational out there.
You're one match away
from becoming the king again here,
as you did last year.
Go get some rest, and keep playing well.
I appreciate it, thank you.
Have a great night, thank you.
-I appreciate it, thank you.
-Well done.
I tell you what, both him and Carlos,
just both so likable,
so amazing to watch, exceptional stuff.
That, of course,
was the second match of the evening.
We had a spectacular one
in the opening round
where Carlos Alcaraz took on Taylor Fritz,
and very high-quality stuff.
[dynamic techno music playing]
-[Tim] Pin-point accuracy.
-[Prakash] He's got him again.
[Tim] Alcaraz always in charge.
The world's best simply too good
for America's Number One.
And Alcaraz will be here for the final.
-[announcer speaking indistinctly]
-[music concludes]
So, we had a dream day of semifinals.
We just saw Jannik Sinner
play absolute top-notch stuff,
especially with the serve.
But Carlos was pretty on fire
out there today as well.
Pulled out every trick
in the book against Taylor.
I mean,
I think it's sort of mildly amusing
that there's this obviously great rivalry
between these two players.
Alcaraz goes out there,
puts on an absolute masterclass.
-[Prakash laughs]
-[Tim] He wins six, four, six, two.
What does Sinner do?
He comes out against Djokovic.
It's like, "Well, anything he can do,
I'm going to try and beat,"
but he matched him.
Six, four, six, two against Djokovic.
So, yeah, two just amazing matches
for an incredible crowd tonight to watch.
And it was that variation from Alcaraz.
I mean, he just mixed things up so well.
One minute, he's rifling those forehands.
The next minute,
he's playing the most delicate drop shots.
Twelve out of 13 drop shot points won.
Well, Laura, I was going to ask you,
you broke that down for us earlier,
his drop shot usage.
Carlos' drop shots today
or Jannik's serve,
which impressed you more?
-Ooh!
-Oh!
-I had to do it! I had to do it!
-[chuckles]
It's apples and oranges.
It's totally different shots.
I think Carlos laid down a marker
and Jannik definitely
stepped up to the plate.
That was probably
the best serving performance
I've seen from him.
But the variety that we saw,
I think that was most impressive
from where I was sat. It was…
You didn't know what
you were going to get from point to point.
It was a kick serve, it was a flat serve,
and he was using all four corners.
-But I think the drop shots… [chuckles]
-[Tim chuckles]
…they amazed, maybe,
just because I enjoyed them so much…
-And they were cheeky. They were cheeky!
-[chuckles]
Just pulled them out
at all sorts of times.
It was brilliant stuff.
And it's so frustrating
when you're the opponent as well,
'cause you're like, "I've tried it all
and I'm just getting past
left, right, and center, and forward."
It's not fair.
Well, this absolutely packed arena here
got their money's worth, certainly.
It was top-notch stuff from both players.
And now our dream final is set.
We'll see it on Saturday.
Carlos Alcaraz will take on Jannik Sinner
for the championship,
but we'll be very fortunate
to see a third and fourth playoff
with Taylor Fritz and Novak Djokovic.
So, we'll still get
the 24-time Grand Slam champ
and the number one American
in play on Saturday as well.
We've seen this match in the final.
Seems to be
in every single big tournament,
so, it's very fitting
that for this high-stakes event
we see Alcaraz versus Sinner.
It's gone mostly Alcaraz's way,
aside from the Wimbledon final.
First blush, who are we leaning towards?
Put us on the spot, early doors here.
-[laughs]
-First instinct thoughts here.
First instinct,
I have to lean towards Alcaraz
because of his performance
in the last two sets of the US Open final.
He just found that extra gear
in terms of shot selection.
It was like he had every shot in the book.
We saw some of that tonight as well,
but I think it's just so tough
to get the rhythm that Jannik Sinner
is looking for from the baseline,
when he doesn't know what to expect,
but I think the best part is, as he said,
they're challenging each other.
He came away from that US Open final
knowing that he kind of had to get back
on the practice court,
figure out a way around that,
and figure out a way
to play on his own terms.
And I just can't wait.
[chuckles] Honestly, I think either way,
no matter who wins,
-we're going to have a good time.
-And I love their character,
the way that they respond
when they have to deal with adversity.
Admittedly, that doesn't happen so often
because they're so good.
But you reflect on that French Open final.
Sinner had three match points.
Love-40 on Alcaraz's serve,
and he ends up losing the match.
You come through to the Wimbledon final,
you're thinking, "Well, Alcaraz
is definitely favorite here."
He wins the first set,
but then Sinner shows that response
to take his first Wimbledon final.
You get to US Open.
I think Alcaraz took it up a notch
using just this incredible variation
and power.
And now I think Sinner
has talked about responding,
how he's got to bring
the variation to his game.
But when he goes back to basics
with that weapon of the serve,
in these quick conditions
with the altitude through the court,
I mean, there are so many
different amazing aspects.
It sounds like you're sitting
on the fence a little bit.
-A little bit. I think I'm slowly--
-He's biding his time.
I was waiting for an answer.
There was a lot of words there,
but not really a selection either way.
I'm slowly moving towards saying
that I think this is Sinner's turn.
I think Alcaraz, yeah,
he's played brilliantly.
He's shown us his enormous skill set,
but I think Sinner's
going to be the one to get this done.
It took you a while to get there,
but I'm glad we made a choice.
-I had to explain myself.
-It was interesting.
Stefanos Tsitsipas put up a post
saying, "You know what,
it was beautiful to be here."
"I have these tournaments
for the rest of the year,
but I'm more motivated as ever."
"It was great to be
around greatness, Jannik Sinner."
So, this rivalry is really trying
to elevate the rest of the tour
-as best it can as well.
-Everyone else is playing catch up.
I think we've seen the best
of the two best players
in the world so far this week.
And everyone else knows that they have
to keep lifting their level,
get back on the practice court,
try and, you know, gain those
five percent increases every day
because that's what the two best
are doing right now.
They're impressing us week in, week out.
Guys, I had an absolute blast.
What do you say we come back,
do this again…
-Hundred percent.
-…for an all-star final?
Exciting.
It's all set. Ladies and gentlemen,
Carlos Alcaraz will take on Jannik Sinner.
They have split
the four Grand Slams this year,
so it's very fitting
that they will be in the final here
at the Six Kings Slam.
Who will the king be?
Very fitting for Riyadh Season.
It's been a beautiful evening here.
Day two at the Six Kings Slam.
So, from myself, Tim, Laura, Petch,
and Feli, and the rest of our team,
we'll see you guys on Saturday.
[upbeat music playing]
[music concludes]
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01x02 - Semifinals
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The world's top-ranked players take the court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for a star-studded tennis showcase with ultimate bragging rights on the line.
The world's top-ranked players take the court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for a star-studded tennis showcase with ultimate bragging rights on the line.