Carlos Alcaraz issues injury update ahead of Six Kings Slam return

Carlos Alcaraz will compete at the 2025 Six Kings Slam, which will be his first tournament since his ankle injury at the Japan Open, but his health remains a question mark.

Alcaraz last played at the ATP 500 tournament in Tokyo. He injured himself a few minutes into his first-round match and has played with a strapped ankle ever since. The Spaniard even withdrew from the Shanghai Masters as a result of the injury.

His first played tournament since then was the Six Kings Slam. It's an exhibition event held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with each participant getting at least $1.5 million and the winner taking home $6 million.

The motivation to play the Six Kings Slam is obvious, and for Alcaraz, it might be worth it even if he isn't 100% healthy. Ahead of the tournament in Riyadh, for which he is one of the two seeded players, the 22-year-old provided an injury update.

Alcaraz revealed that he isn't 100% healthy yet, but that he intends to play at the exhibition event. He also stated that he has doubts when he moves on the court, which is never ideal for a tennis player.

The world No. 1 player will play his first match against Taylor Fritz, who managed to beat him at an exhibition earlier this year. The two met at the Laver Cup, with the American securing a surprising two-set win.

This time, even if Alcaraz loses, he is sure to play at least one more match at the event. In fact, before the tournament started, he was one of only two players who knew they would appear on the courts in Riyadh at least twice.

He and Novak Djokovic were the two seeded players, meaning they avoided quarter-final matches. And since the format at the Six Kings Slam also includes a third-round match, both knew they would play twice at the event, even if they lost their semi-final match.

Should Alcaraz beat Fritz in the semi-final, he will take on the winner of the match between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner in the final. If he loses, he will play against the loser of the other semi-final for third place.

Alcaraz played in the final of this tournament last year, losing to Sinner in what was a three-set battle. The Italian player won the match 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3 to secure the maiden Six Kings Slam trophy, and he will want to repeat the same this year.