Can the reigning king of Riyadh retain his crown?
Defending champion Jannik Sinner returns to Riyadh for the 2025 Six Kings Slam, and opens his account against late entrant Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek superstar has come in as a replacement for the injured Jack Draper. The winner of this encounter will enter the semifinal stage, where they will face 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. With $6 million on the line for the winner of this exhibition competition, can Sinner go back-to-back? BetMGM is going to help us in providing you with the favorable odds for this clash today.
While Jannik Sinner already featured in the Six Kings Slam last year, Stefanos Tsitsipas will make his debut in the 2025 edition. Sinner is entering the event on the back of a worrisome retirement at the Shanghai Masters. The 24-year-old Italian has won titles at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the China Open so far. He also finished as the runner-up in Rome, Paris, Cincinnati and New York. Currently the World No. 2, Sinner has won 80% points on first serve across hard court events in 2025. He also saves 75% break points and converts 45% of his own.
One of the few players who has a dominant record against Sinner, Stefanos Tsitsipas is going through a rough patch of form. The Greek sensation has won a solitary title in Dubai, apart from which he has been striving for consistency more than anything. The World No. 24 recorded just two wins across the four majors in 2025 – including his worst performance (R1) at the Australian Open since 2018. Most recently, Tsitsipas pulled out of Shanghai due to his ongoing injury recovery. He has a win-loss record of 22-18 this year – which includes 86% service games won and 36% return points won.
Tsitsipas leads the head-to-head against Sinner by 6-3. Their most recent encounter was at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters, where the 27-year-old won in three thrilling sets. Despite the Italian winning the two match-ups prior to that, Tsitsipas’ dominance during 2021-2022 gives him the edge in the rivalry.
| Event | Round | Winner | Score |
| 2024 Monte Carlo | Semifinal | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 6-4 3-6 6-4 |
| 2023 Nitto ATP Finals | Round Robin | Jannik Sinner | 6-4 6-4 |
| 2023 Rotterdam | Round of 16 | Jannik Sinner | 6-4 6-3 |
| 2023 Australian Open | Round of 16 | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 6-4 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3 |
| 2022 Rome | Quarterfinal | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 7-6(5) 6-2 |
| 2022 Australian Open | Quarterfinal | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 6-3 6-4 6-2 |
| 2021 Barcelona | Semifinal | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 6-3 6-3 |
| 2020 Rome | Round of 32 | Jannik Sinner | 6-1 6-7(9) 6-2 |
| 2019 Rome | Round of 32 | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 6-3 6-2 |
| Jannik Sinner | Category | Stefanos Tsitsipas |
| 2 | Current Ranking | 24 |
| 306-86 | Career W-L Record | 367-183 |
| 43-6 | YTD W-L Record | 22-18 |
| 21 | Career Titles | 12 |
| 3 | YTD Titles | 1 |
| 4 | Grand Slams | 0 |
While Sinner is the clear favorite in terms of form and past experience at the tournament, his fitness will determine how this match unfolds. If the Italian can get his feet moving off the blocks and race to an early lead, the nerves will settle down. Tsitsipas has nothing to lose, and needs to play like it. The two-time Grand Slam finalist has the full range of shots to put Sinner under pressure. If he can use the slices to perfection and attack on the forehand wing, this could be closer than expected.
Prediction: Jannik Sinner in three sets.
Sinner (1/10) is a dominant favorite and Tsitsipas (6/1) is a firm underdog in the Six Kings Slam 2025 opener. According to the implied probability on the money line, the World No. 2 has an 80% chance of advancing to the semifinal stage. Take a look at the full list of odds (as per BetMGM):
(According to BetMGM: BetMGM offers exclusive promo codes, bonus deals and accurate odds for users upon signing up. Use BetMGM to ace your betting game in all sports!)
(Image Credits: Mike Frey, Imagn Images)
