Carlos Alcaraz dazzles in Saudi Arabia as he closes in on massive Six Kings Slam payday

Making his first appearance on court since he beat Fritz in the final of the ATP 500 tournament in Tokyo after he opted to skip the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai, Alcaraz did not appear to be troubled by the ankle injury that kept him out of the event in China.

From first point to last, this was vintage Alcaraz and he was especially impressive with his trademark drop shots, as he successfully executed 12 of the 13 he attempted to rock Fritz onto the ropes as he sealed as 6-4, 6-2 win.

"I'm just really happy that everyone enjoyed the match," said Alcaraz on Netflix. "I just came here to have fun and to feel the love from the crowd. I'm really pleased and happy that I was able to do it today.

"The drop shot was good today. I realised after five or six that I was winning all the drop shots I was making. So it became a tactic. That's what I did.

"At the beginning, I knew the drop shot was going to be a great weapon today."

Alcaraz was smiling throughout a match and there is little wonder that he is enjoying life, as he is now just one win away from claiming a stunning $4.5m prize money windfall if he can win the Six Kings Slam final on Saturday.

All players taking part in this exhibition event are collecting a $1.5m appearance fee, but the figure will leap to $6m is Alcaraz can lift the title in Riyadh.

Having won $16,048,017 already after a season that has seen Alcaraz lift eight titles and add two more Grand Slam titles to his collection at the French Open and US Open, Alcaraz will crash through the $20m prize money barrier for 2025 if he can lift the Six Kings Slam title.

The money earned in this event is not added to his official total as the Six Kings Slam is not an official ATP event, but it will be a huge addition to his cash haul.

Alcaraz and the players competing in Saudi Arabia have been criticised for chasing the big cash on offer in Saudi Arabia, with injuries and fatigue a big issue at this phase of the season.

Yet Alcaraz has defended his decision to play in another event, after conceding last year the big lure of playing in the Six Kings Slam is the money on offer.

READ MORE: Jannik Sinner hails Novak Djokovic as a 'real idol' after dominant win at Six Kings Slam