Six Kings Slam 2025: When Tennis Players Get Paid More Than Your Annual Salary for Three Days of Work

The tournament format is refreshingly simple, probably because when you’re throwing around this much cash, you don’t want to overcomplicate things. It’s a knockout-style event with quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a final, all played in a best-of-three format.

Here’s where it gets a bit weird though – the seeding isn’t based on current ATP rankings like you’d expect. Djokovic gets the second seed despite being ranked fifth in the world, while Sinner (world No. 2) has to play in the quarters. Why? Because the organizers decided to base seedings on Grand Slam titles, giving Djokovic’s 24 majors the respect they deserve over Sinner’s four.

The Netflix Factor and Exhibition Rules

This year’s event will be streamed live on Netflix, which is a nice touch for those of us who want to watch millionaires play tennis from the comfort of our significantly less expensive homes. Last year it was on DAZN, so at least they’re making it more accessible.

Since this is an exhibition, there are no ATP ranking points up for grabs, and the results don’t count toward official head-to-head records. It’s basically expensive tennis theater, and honestly, we’re here for it.

Why Players Keep Saying Yes to These Events

Look, we can all pretend to be shocked that players are choosing money over tradition, but let’s be honest – wouldn’t you? Carlos Alcaraz has been particularly vocal about the packed tennis calendar, saying players are going to be “killed in some way” by the schedule. Yet here he is, adding more events to his calendar. The difference? These exhibitions pay better than most tournaments.

Alcaraz’s coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, argues that exhibitions help his player relax since they’re more about entertainment than winning. That’s a nice way of saying “the pressure is off when you’re guaranteed seven figures just for participating.”

The Saudi Arabia Question Everyone’s Thinking About

We can’t talk about this event without addressing the elephant in the room – it’s being held in Saudi Arabia as part of their “Riyadh Season.” Critics have raised concerns about “sportswashing,” where countries with questionable human rights records use sports investments to improve their image.

Norwegian player Casper Ruud turned down offers to play in the Kingdom last year, though he pointed out the hypocrisy of singling out Saudi Arabia when the tour regularly plays in China and other countries with their own human rights issues. It’s a fair point that makes everyone slightly uncomfortable.

The Bottom Line on Six Kings Slam

At the end of the day, the Six Kings Slam represents everything that’s both brilliant and frustrating about modern professional sports. It’s brilliant because it’s giving tennis fans a chance to see the world’s best players compete in a relatively relaxed setting. It’s frustrating because it highlights just how much money is floating around in sports while regular tournaments struggle with prize money.

Jannik Sinner won last year’s event, beating Carlos Alcaraz in the final and probably sleeping very well on his pile of cash. This year’s event promises more of the same – elite tennis, ridiculous money, and enough drama to keep us all entertained.

Whether you love it or hate it, the Six Kings Slam is here to stay, at least as long as Saudi Arabia keeps writing checks that make Grand Slam prize money look like pocket change.