Each competitor in The Six Kings Slam will earn almost $1.5 million just from participating, even the tennis players who were eliminated early like Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune had the chance to obtain this amount, but the winner of this rich exhibition will have much more.
Whoever wins the exhibition tournament in Riyadh will receive a check in the bank for $6 million, $4.5 million more than the finalist and the other competitors. That is worth the final scheduled for Saturday between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. A prize money that is always useful and a match that is worth more than the prize money of Wimbledon or Roland Garros, to give you an idea of how much this match is worth.
Alcaraz and Sinner will have the opportunity to challenge each other once again and this time without ATP points. A real exhibition to entertain all the fans and to take home the rich prize money that the Arab Investment Fund is offering for the tournament: an experiment that seems to have been quite successful and that has also brought great interest in Arabia.
The last challenge between the two saw Alcaraz win at the tie-break in the Beijing final, and the head-to-heads see the Spaniard in the lead, even if tomorrow's match, being an exhibition, will not count in ATP terms.
This season, Carlitos and Jannik have equally divided the 4 annual Majors and their rivalry now seems destined to mark the post-Big-3 era. The Spaniard and the Italian dominated the season and the final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is a direct testimony of how men's tennis has been in 2024.
The words of Alcaraz and Sinner after reaching the final of The Six Kings Slam
After beating his legendary countryman Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, Carlitos analyzed: "I tried to play at my best level, in the world of sport you always have to give your all when you step on the court. I tried to be as focused as possible. For me it was a beautiful evening, I think it was also for the crowd. The final with Sinner? Jannik is the strongest tennis player in the world, it is very difficult to face him, he is having a fantastic year. He has lost very few matches, we have had many challenges and very tough ones. They have been important battles and I think the people who come tomorrow will see a good match. I will try to beat him and win the tournament but it will certainly not be easy."
Sinner, who beat Novak Djokovic, said: "We played the final in Shanghai a few days ago and we are both a little tired. But we tried to give our best and I want to thank all the fans for coming and supporting us until the last point. These matches can change quickly. He made few mistakes in the third set and let's see what happens on Saturday, hopefully it will be a great final. Exhibition? It was a tough match. We both tried to raise the level and give our best. We know each other very well and we know what our strengths are. I have always been calm, today I got a little nervous. It happens to me when I am tired. I am happy to have another chance on Saturday. I do not feel 100% fresh physically, but I will do my best."
Nadal himself talked to DAZN, during The Six Kings Slam, about the rivalry between Carlitos and Jannik, analyzing: "They are doing great things. They are still very young and have already achieved incredible goals by winning Grand Slam tournaments and ATP Masters 1000. Carlos and Jannik are doing special things. I hope they continue on this path. They are already big stars and I am sure that, without injuries, they will build a great career. We have to wait to understand what kind of rivalry it will be, but already this year they have divided the Grand Slam tournaments and occupy the first and second position in the world ranking. They are writing their history and it is not the time to make comparisons. Novak is still playing, I am about to retire and Roger has stopped. It is part of the sport, now there is a new generation and we must give these guys time to write their own history. They do not need to be compared to us."
