World number one Carlos Alcaraz has defended his decision to play in the lucrative Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia after previously saying he would consider skipping ATP Tour events to prioritise his health due to a crowded schedule.

The men's and women's circuits, which run across 11 months with extended formats at several tournaments, have come under fresh scrutiny during the "Asian swing", where extreme heat and humidity contributed to a spate of injuries and withdrawals.

The Professional Tennis Players' Association filed a lawsuit against the sport's governing bodies in March, calling the scheduling situation "unsustainable".

After winning the Tokyo title last month despite playing with an ankle injury, Alcaraz withdrew from the next event in Shanghai, saying he need

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