Some tennis followers marvel why high gamers, who complain in regards to the sport’s hectic schedule, would add mid-season exhibitions to their schedules, such because the Six Kings Slam, which opens Wednesday in Saudi Arabia.
Taylor Fritz can consider one million causes. Six million to be actual.
“I would wish to see a event the place we are able to play three video games, the highest two seeds, two video games, however we may probably make $6 million,” Fritz mentioned in a video interview Tuesday from Riyadh. “I would like to listen to it from them.”
Nicely, then.
Fritz is considered one of six gamers scheduled to compete within the second Six Kings Slam. That features Jannik Sinner, who took residence the highest prize verify in Saudi Arabia a yr in the past, extra money than the precise event gives the champion. The current $5 million payout to the US Open girls’s and males’s singles winners set a Grand Slam file.
The occasion is a part of Saudi Arabia’s current huge steps into tennis, together with the WTA Finals in Riyadh, the ATP Subsequent Era Finals in Jeddah, and the Public Funding Fund’s sponsorship of tour rankings, and vice versa. Corridor of Famers Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova have criticized the game’s relationship with Saudi Arabia over considerations about LGBTQ+ and ladies’s rights.
On the Six Kings Slam, every participant is reportedly assured a $1.5 million look charge. The final participant standing will obtain a bonus, the overall quantity of which might be 4 instances the quantity of the match being streamed reside on Netflix.
“Cash isn’t one thing we’re attempting to cover. We all know how a lot is at stake right here. I would be mendacity if I mentioned it wasn’t a motivator,” mentioned Sinner, who received this yr’s Australian Open and Wimbledon and completed runner-up to rival Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros and the US Open. “All of the gamers right here will attempt to win as many video games as attainable. It is the identical as every other exhibition, besides there’s just a little extra motivation right here.”
Sinner stopped taking part in throughout his most up-to-date match on the Shanghai Masters per week and a half in the past as a result of extreme leg cramps. However he mentioned Tuesday he was superb.
“I’ve recovered, I took a couple of days off to relaxation and now I am prepared for the remainder of the season,” mentioned Sinner, including that he had not but determined whether or not he would assist Italy win their third consecutive Davis Cup title subsequent month. “Mentally I am in good condition…and I am going to give 100%.”
Fritz will face Stefano Tsitsipas on the opening day in opposition to Alexander Zverev. The winner of Fritz vs. Zverev will face Alcaraz on Thursday, whereas the winner of Sinner vs. Tsitsipas will face Novak Djokovic. After Friday’s time off, the semi-final winners will play one another on Saturday to determine.
Djokovic owns a males’s file 24 Grand Slam trophies, Alcaraz has six and Sinner has received 4. Each are ranked primary.
Fritz was Sinner’s runner-up on the 2024 U.S. Open. Zverev is a three-time main finalist, together with dropping to Sinner at this yr’s Australian Open and to Alcaraz ultimately yr’s French Open. Tsitsipas has twice completed runner-up to Djokovic in Grand Slam tournaments.
