Jannik Sinner recently enjoyed a lucrative trip to Saudi Arabia, and the ATP No. 1 is reportedly planning a return to the Middle East during the off-season.
Sinner competed at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia from October 16th to 19th. Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune were the other players who competed at the event.
The Six Kings Slam occurred at the same time as the Almaty Open, Stockholm Open, and European Open in Antwerp, creating concerns about it distracting from ATP events with ranking points.
Sinner has not played since the Six Kings Slam. After not defending his title at the Vienna Open, the Italian withdrew from the ongoing Paris Masters, citing an illness as the reason.
Cedric Pioline, the Paris Masters tournament director, said there could be a link between the Six Kings Slam and Sinner's withdrawal, calling the exhibition in Saudi Arabia disruptive to tennis as a whole.
However, taking those concerns seriously might be difficult for players due to the huge prize money offered for playing in Saudi Arabia. All six participants at the Six Slam were guaranteed $1.5 million regardless of their performance.
Sinner was rewarded the most after winning the exhibition, securing $6 million for beating Alcaraz in the final. That was the largest paycheck given to a tennis player, although the world No. 1 insisted afterward he does not play for money.
Although it would be unfair to call Sinner dishonest without more explicit evidence, some are skeptical about his claim that he did not play at the Six Kings Slam for money. By contrast, Alcaraz admitted that the prize money did influence his decision to participate.
Sinner is already planning for the 2025 season after his efforts this year, and a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport indicates he is set to return to the Middle East for his off-season training.
Last year, Sinner spent part of the off-season training in Alicante with Alcaraz. Most of his work before 2024 was done at the Monte Carlo Country Club, but the two-time Grand Slam champion is expected to move outside of Europe this year.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Sinner will train in Dubai from December 10th until the Christmas holidays. Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have also chosen that destination in the past.
Federer and Djokovic enjoyed the combination of training in warm weather ahead of the Australian Open and the privacy available to those looking to work hard and get fit.
Sinner might find it difficult to be away from his family and friends if he decides to train in the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, but his willingness to make such sacrifices is what got him to No. 1 in the world.
The US Open champion will focus on getting himself healthy for the ATP Finals and then taking what is likely to be a much-needed break before beginning his preparations for 2025.
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