Elite Tennis Players Participate in the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia
The tennis world is preparing for an exhibition event that has sparked debate: the Six Kings Slam, which kicks off this Wednesday in Saudi Arabia. The participation of renowned tennis players has raised questions among fans, who are wondering why high-level figures, who often complain about the tight schedule, decide to add this type of tournament to their agenda.Taylor Fritz, one of the participants, has a clear and forceful answer, motivated by the economic appeal of the tournament.I would love for them to show me a tournament where you can play three matches, or two for the top two seeds, and potentially win 6 million dollars. I would love to hear it from them.
Taylor Fritz
Fritz is one of the six tennis players who will compete in the second edition of the Six Kings Slam. Among them is Jannik Sinner, who returns after winning the top prize in the previous edition, surpassing the earnings of any official tournament. The US Open, for example, recently awarded 5 million dollars to the individual winners, setting a record in the Grand Slam.
This event is part of Saudi Arabia’s growing commitment to tennis, which includes the WTA Finals in Riyadh and the ATP Next Gen Finals in Jeddah. The country’s involvement in the sport has been criticized by figures such as Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, due to concerns about LGBTQ+ and women’s rights in the region. In the Six Kings Slam, each player is guaranteed an appearance fee of $1.5 million, and the winner receives a bonus that raises their winnings to four times that amount. The matches will be broadcast live on Netflix.Sinner, who won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, and was runner-up at the French Open and the US Open, assures he is in good physical and mental shape. After recovering from leg cramps that forced him to withdraw from the Shanghai Masters, Sinner claims to be ready for the rest of the season. In the first match, Sinner will face Stefanos Tsitsipas, while Fritz will play against Alexander Zverev. The winner of the match between Fritz and Zverev will face Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday, and the winner of the match between Sinner and Tsitsipas will play against Novak Djokovic. The semifinals will be played on Saturday. Djokovic holds the record of 24 Grand Slam titles, Alcaraz has six, and Sinner has four. All have been number one in the world. Fritz was Sinner’s runner-up at the 2024 US Open. Zverev has been a finalist in three major tournaments, including defeats against Sinner at this year’s Australian Open and against Alcaraz at last year’s French Open. Tsitsipas was twice Djokovic’s runner-up in Grand Slam tournaments.Money is not something we are trying to hide. We know how much is at stake here, and it would be a lie if I told you it’s not a motivation.
Jannik Sinner
