Sinner and Fritz motivated by the $6M prize at the Six Kings Slam

Taylor Fritz and the Million-Dollar Exhibition in Saudi Arabia

The tennis world is preparing for an event that has generated debate: the Six Kings Slam, an exhibition that kicks off this Wednesday in Saudi Arabia. The participation of top figures, despite complaints about the tight schedule, has sparked curiosity and controversy. But, what motivates these players to participate? For Taylor Fritz, the answer is clear: millions of dollars. Specifically, 6 million. The American tennis player does not hesitate to point out 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 Slams. This event is part of Saudi Arabia’s growing investment in tennis, which includes the WTA Finals in Riyadh and the ATP Next Gen Finals in Jeddah, as well as the Public Investment Fund’s sponsorship of the circuit rankings. However, this relationship has been criticized by figures like Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, who express concern about LGBTQ+ and women’s rights in the country. In the Six Kings Slam, each player is guaranteed an appearance fee of $1.5 million, and the winner takes home a bonus that quadruples that amount. The matches will be broadcast live on Netflix.

Money is not something we try to hide. We know how much is at stake here, and it would be a lie if I said it wasn’t a motivation.

Jannik Sinner

Sinner, who won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, and was runner-up at Roland Garros and the US Open, assures he is in good physical and mental shape, despite the cramps that forced him to withdraw from the Shanghai Masters. “I recovered. We took a few days off and now we are ready for the rest of the season,” said Sinner. On the first day, Sinner will face Stefanos Tsitsipas, while Fritz will play against Alexander Zverev. The winner of the Fritz-Zverev match will face Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday, and the winner of the Sinner-Tsitsipas match 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 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 to Sinner at this year’s Australian Open and Alcaraz at Roland Garros last year. Tsitsipas was twice a runner-up to Djokovic in Grand Slam tournaments.