Taylor Fritz and the Million-Dollar Exhibition in Saudi Arabia
The tennis world is in the midst of a high-profile exhibition, the Six Kings Slam, which has sparked an interesting debate. While some fans question the participation of top players in such events, complaining about the tight schedule, others like Taylor Fritz see an unparalleled opportunity. Fritz, one of the six tennis players competing, has a compelling reason: the possibility of winning a considerable sum of money. “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,” Fritz stated in an interview from Riyadh. This exhibition marks the second edition of the Six Kings Slam, where Jannik Sinner also participates, who took the top prize last year in Saudi Arabia, surpassing the earnings of any real tournament. The event is part of the kingdom’s growing investment in tennis.Each player is guaranteed an appearance fee of approximately $1.5 million, and the winner takes a bonus that raises their winnings to four times that amount. The matches are broadcast live on Netflix. Sinner, after recovering from cramps suffered at the Shanghai Masters, feels in good shape and ready to face the rest of the season. He will face Stefanos Tsitsipas on the first day, while Fritz will face Alexander Zverev. The winner of the match between Fritz and Zverev will face Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday, and the winner of the duel between Sinner and Tsitsipas will play Novak Djokovic. The semifinals will take place on Saturday. Djokovic, with 24 Grand Slam titles, Alcaraz with six, and Sinner with four, are some of the names competing in this tournament. Fritz was runner-up to Sinner at the 2024 US Open, while Zverev has been a finalist three times in major 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,” Sinner stated.
Jannik Sinner
