From Wednesday, six of the world’s best tennis players will duel at the “<a href="https://www.archysport.com/2024/02/a-new-exhibition-tournament-in-saudi-arabia-with-novak-djokovic-and-rafael-nadal/" title="A new exhibition tournament in Saudi Arabia with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal”>Six Kings Slam” in Riyadh. But what is actually behind the tournament?
Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune – the list of players taking part in the highly prized “Six Kings Slam” in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh (October 16 to 19, 2024), could hardly be more prominent. However, the tournament also raises many questions and critical discussions. Because one thing seems to be clear: it’s more about the money than the sport.
A total of 7.5 million euros awaits the winner of the tournament – the highest prize money ever paid out in men’s tennis. According to reports, each of the six players will receive around 1.4 million euros for their participation, with the winner receiving an additional multiple. For comparison: Alcaraz received prize money of around 3.2 million euros for his Wimbledon success this year.
“Nobody cares about that,” complained Andy Murray, who resigned in the summer, about the sporting relevance. But that didn’t stop the desert state from its plans. Saudi Arabia has been pumping horrendous sums of money into sport for years, and tennis is one of the most recent objects of desire. Critics accuse the country of using “sportswashing” to cover up mistakes such as human rights violations.
Special mode, no world ranking points
The mode of the show event also has its peculiarities: Nadal, who recently announced the end of his career, and Djokovic are already seeded for the semi-finals. The four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, Sinner, the former US Open winner Daniil Medvedev and the Dane Holger Rune are fighting for the other places in the semi-finals. Alexander Zverev, who also played in Saudi Arabia in the past, is not there.
It is also remarkable that so many stars are playing in Riyadh, even though many tennis professionals are complaining about the busy tournament calendar. There aren’t even world ranking points to be won – just a lot of money.
