Overview

• Opening-day results in Riyadh: Taylor Fritz beat Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-4 and defending champion Jannik Sinner defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3.
• Thursday’s semifinals are set for Fritz vs Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner vs Novak Djokovic, followed by a rest day on Friday and the final plus third-place match on Saturday.
• Carlos Alcaraz said his ankle is not fully healed after Tokyo but expects to compete, and he argued exhibitions are a lighter, different format than tour events.
• The unsanctioned event guarantees each player $1.5 million, with an additional $4.5 million to the champion, and streams live worldwide on Netflix at no extra cost to subscribers.
• Stefanos Tsitsipas replaced the injured Jack Draper in the six-man field as the event’s timing and Saudi-funded payouts continue to draw scrutiny within the sport.