Jannik Sinner has been ridiculed for suggesting money was not his motivating factor for playing in the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, but his great rival Carlos Alcaraz has offered up a very different response to the same question.
World No 1 Sinner won the three-day tournament and pocketed an eye-watering $6million winners’ cheque, as well as a $1.5million appearance fee.
Yet when asked in an interview whether money was the primary reason why he signed up to play in an event that also featured Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune in an interview with Eurosport ahead of the Paris Masters, Sinner stressed the cash was important.
“No, I don’t play for money,” Sinner said. “It’s very simple. Of course it’s a nice prize and everything but you know, for me, I went there because there were, possibly the six best players in the world and then you can measure yourself with them.
“It was also a nice event for me. It was the first time I went to Riyadh. It was for something very nice.
“Of course, when you come back as a winner, for me it was more that, okay, I played the matches in the right way and this can hopefully improve me as a player also for the future.
“I think that’s it. And of course, the money is important, but not that much. I live a good life also without this money.
“So I think it’s much more important the health I have and surrounding myself with great people and the family I have than the money — it’s just an extra.”
Sinner’s comments were a little hard to believe given the scale of the finances that came his way and when Alcaraz was asked to comment on why he played in the Six Kings Slam, he offered up what may have been a more honest verdict than Sinner.
Alcaraz was smiling as he offered up this response as he was asked about Sinner’s comments suggesting the money didn’t matter.
“Well, I mean, if I say I went there just for fun or to play and forget the money, I’m gonna lie,” he said.
“That’s obviously. I mean, every person work for that, as well. You know, that’s how life is about.
“You know, I love playing tennis. You know, most of the time I don’t think about the money. I just play for love or for fun. But you have to be realistic. You have to think that you want to earn money, you know, and that’s it.
“You know, in Arabia is the most highest prize money ever in the history, so that was a good motivation, at least for me.”
It is hard to believe any sportsman who insists he was not interested in the huge money on offer when he opted to take his talents to Saudi Arabia, with Sinner’s comments that he went to Riyadh simply for the sporting challenge receiving the scorn they merited.
