The Lucrative Six Kings Slam: A Tournament That Attracts Tennis Stars
The tennis world is preparing for an event that has generated great expectation: the Six Kings Slam, which begins this Wednesday in Saudi Arabia. This exhibition tournament, which features the participation of some of the most outstanding figures in the sport, offers an unprecedented economic reward that has captured the attention of fans and the players themselves. The question many ask themselves is why elite tennis players, who often complain about the tight schedule, decide to participate in events like this. The answer, for Taylor Fritz, is clear: the economic appeal.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 grand prize last year in Saudi Arabia, a sum greater than that offered by any real tournament, even the recent $5 million awarded to the women’s and men’s singles winners of the US Open. This event is part of Saudi Arabia’s growing commitment to tennis, and vice versa, including the WTA Finals in Riyadh, the ATP Next Gen Finals in Jeddah, and the Public Investment Fund’s sponsorship of the circuit rankings. Each player is guaranteed an appearance fee of approximately $1.5 million, and the winner will take home a bonus that quadruples that amount. The matches will be broadcast live on Netflix.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. I would love to hear that from them.
Taylor Fritz
Sinner, who won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, and was runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open and the US Open, also confirmed his physical condition after recovering from cramps suffered in his last match at the Shanghai Masters. 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 Alcaraz on Thursday, and the winner of the match between Sinner and Tsitsipas will face Novak Djokovic. The semifinals will be played on Saturday. Djokovic holds 24 Grand Slam titles, Alcaraz has six, and Sinner has four; each has also been ranked number 1. Fritz was runner-up against Sinner at the 2024 US Open. Zverev is a three-time major finalist, including losses to Sinner at this year’s Australian Open and Alcaraz at last year’s French Open. Tsitsipas was twice a runner-up to Djokovic in the Slams.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 wasn’t a motivation.
Jannik Sinner
