Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, with a combined 46 Grand Slam singles titles, will be among the top tennis stars competing for the largest prize in sports history at the upcoming “6 Kings Slam” in Saudi Arabia.
Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune are also set to participate in the event, which offers $6 million to the winner — nearly double the prize money of the Grand Slam tournaments — and guarantees $1.5 million for each of the six players just for taking part.
The tournament will take place from October 16-19 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center.
“Six Kings Slam is happening next week, so I’m playing that, then I’ll decide where to play next,” Djokovic commented after his loss to Sinner in the Rolex Shanghai Masters final.
Nadal, who has taken on a role as an ambassador for the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation, expressed his excitement for the event, which will be one of the last in his career before he retires at the Davis Cup finals next month.
“Following in the footsteps of other players, I am thrilled to be playing in Riyadh for the first time,” said the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
All matches will be broadcast on T2 — visit tennis.com/T2 to find out where you can stream the event — and will also be available on TennisChannel.com and the Tennis Channel.
October 16: Quarterfinal – Daniil Medvedev vs Jannik Sinner – 10:00 PM IST
October 16: Quarterfinal – Carlos Alcaraz vs Holger Rune – Not before 11:30 PM IST
October 17: Semifinal – Novak Djokovic vs Daniil Medvedev/Jannik Sinner – 10:00 PM IST
October 17: Semifinal – Rafael Nadal vs Carlos Alcaraz/Holger Rune – Not before 11:30 PM IST
The event represents Saudi Arabia’s latest foray into tennis, following its hosting of the WTA Finals in Riyadh in two weeks and the Next Gen ATP Finals for top players aged 21-and-under in Jeddah, which will continue through 2027.
There have also been talks about a potential combined 1000-level men’s and women’s tournament in Saudi Arabia, possibly scheduled for January or February around the Australian Open. However, according to The Athletic, no official announcement is expected soon.
Tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova have voiced their opposition to holding tennis events in Saudi Arabia due to the country’s track record on human rights and its treatment of women and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Saudi Arabia has made significant moves into sports like football, boxing, and golf, prompting concern from figures like former world No. 1 John McEnroe, who sees the trend as problematic for tennis. On a recent ESPN conference call, McEnroe criticized the decision, saying, “Personally, I completely disagree with it, both in golf and tennis. The WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia? Are you kidding me? Because they treat women so well? That part is laughable to me.”
McEnroe further highlighted the broader issue, stating, “What’s also laughable is how people criticize tennis players or golfers for engaging with Saudi Arabia, while nearly every business and even governments continue to deal with the country.”