Jannik Sinner recently defended his Six Kings Slam title, defeating longtime rival Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
Sinner proved too strong for his Spanish rival, winning the contest 6-2, 6-4 in Saudi Arabia.
Alcaraz has taken some time off after the Six Kings Slam, while Sinner is currently competing in the Vienna Open.
The result in Saudi Arabia was somewhat of a surprise, considering how close Alcaraz and Sinner’s contests had previously been in 2025.
However, one notable coach – Patrick Mouratoglou – has sought to explain why this might be.
Patrick Mouratoglou says the difference in personalities between Alcaraz and Sinner was the key factor in the Six Kings Slam final
Patrick Mouratoglou is a well-known figure within the tennis sphere. The Frenchman coached Serena Williams for a decade between 2012 and 2022, and later worked with Holger Rune, Simona Halep and Naomi Osaka.
Mouratoglou regularly offers his opinions via social media, and has done so again following the conclusion of the Six Kings Slam.
“At the Six Kings Slam it was obvious the difference of personality between Carlos and Jannik,” Mouratoglou said in an Instagram post.
“Clearly he’s [Alcaraz] a competitor, he’s a pure competitor, and when there is not something big on the table, like an official tournament, I think he can’t find the resources.
“Not that he doesn’t want to, not that he hasn’t tried to. But I think that he struggles to find the resources to give his best.
“And I think that’s mainly the reason, not that he lost against Sinner, he can lose against Sinner anytime. Of course, he did during the year in a Grand Slam final, for example.
“But he didn’t play his best [in the Six Kings Slam final.] He didn’t compete the way he competes usually. And again, I don’t think he does it purposely. I think he’s just lacking this excitement that he has. He’s playing a lot with the emotion.
“Where Sinner plays less with the emotions. Sinner is more structured. I don’t want to say he’s a machine, but he more looks like a machine. You put him in any situation, he’s going to do what he has to do fully.
“There is not much emotion involved, much less than Carlos.”
Alcaraz and Sinner’s 2025 record
Carlos Alcaraz, who has a tough Paris Masters draw, leads Jannik Sinner by four victories to two in 2025 [including the Six Kings Slam].
Alcaraz won their first two contests: the Italian Open final and a historic French Open final clash in June – a match in which Sinner had three championship points.
Sinner hit back a month later, defeating Alcaraz to win his first Wimbledon title. However, in August, Sinner retired ill from their match in the Cincinnati Open final.
Alcaraz defeated Sinner a few weeks later in the US Open final.
Sinner’s second victory over Alcaraz in 2025 came in the Six Kings Slam final.
| Tournament | Winner | Score |
| Italian Open | Alcaraz | 7-6, 6-1 |
| French Open | Alcaraz | 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 |
| Wimbledon | Sinner | 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 |
| Cincinnati Open | Alcaraz | 5-0 RET |
| US Open | Alcaraz | 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 |
| Six Kings Slam | Sinner | 6-2, 6-4 |
Alcaraz has dominated their matchup in recent memory, winning seven of their 10 matches [including Six Kings Slam matches] dating back to the 2024 Indian Wells Open.
