World primary Carlos Alcaraz says gamers are misunderstood once they need to play in exhibition tournaments alongside the demanding tennis calendar.

Alcaraz, 22, was amongst these important of the workload in Asia, the place some gamers struggled bodily, with the Spaniard saying he would contemplate skipping necessary occasions to prioritise his well being.

He’s prime seed at this week’s profitable Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, a six-man match from 15 to 18 October that additionally contains Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

There’s a reported $4.5m (£3.4m) in prize cash on supply on the exhibition, with some gamers additionally more likely to have been paid seven-figure sums to look.

Stories say the winner might take dwelling as much as $6m (£4.5m).

However Alcaraz feels that shorter-format occasions such because the Six Kings Slam are much less gruelling than tour competitions, and due to this fact make fewer calls for on the gamers.

He mentioned: “Lots of gamers are speaking in regards to the calendar, how tight it’s with numerous tournaments, tournaments of two weeks, after which making excuses with exhibitions.

“It is a completely different format, completely different scenario enjoying exhibitions than the official tournaments, 15, 16 days in row, having such a excessive focus and demanding bodily.

“We’re simply having enjoyable for one or two days and enjoying some tennis, and that is nice, and why we select the exhibitions.

“I perceive [the criticism], however generally folks do not perceive us, our opinions. It is probably not demanding mentally [compared with] once we’re having such lengthy occasions like two weeks or two and a half weeks.”

Alcaraz gained his eighth title of the season in Tokyo final month regardless of an ankle harm sustained in his opening match that prompted him to drag out of the Shanghai Masters.

He’ll play in Saudi Arabia regardless of the harm not being totally healed. “All the things’s OK,” mentioned Alcaraz. “I have been recovering the ankle as a lot as I can.

“I do not really feel 100% – the doubts are there after I’m shifting on court docket, but it surely improved so much and I will compete and carry out effectively within the Six Kings Slam.”

Alcaraz has a bye to the semi-finals of the occasion, which will probably be broadcast on Netflix, the place he’ll face Fritz on Thursday after the American gained a 6-3 6-4 victory over Zverev.

In Wednesday’s different quarter-final, world quantity two Sinner beat Tsitsipas 6-2 6-3 and can face Djokovic within the semi-finals.