Is the Six Kings Slam an Exhibition?

The top five players in the world are scheduled to play in Saudi Arabia’s Six Kings Slam beginning this Wednesday at the ANB Arena in Riyadh.

Are ATP ranking points available? No. Do players get seeded based on ranking and recent performance? No. Did players qualify based on some performance metric? No. Is there a massive payout reserved for the winner of the event? Yes. In fact, the $6 million prize for the winner is the largest payout for a tournament in the history of men’s professional tennis.

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic, and Taylor Fritz are ranked 1-5 in the world. Each traveled to Saudi Arabia for this event. Gatecrasher Stefanos Tsitsipas, ranked No. 24, will join the world’s top five as a replacement for No. 9 Jack Draper. While the Six Kings Slam is viewed as an exhibition by the ATP, the question of its significance needs further investigation.

Second Annual Six Kings Slam

The Players & Format

When the world’s top five players trek thousands of miles to play in a seeded event with a draw, it does not feel like an exhibition. Unlike traditional one-evening exhibitions where top players show up for an evening match against a pre-determined opponent, the Six Kings is a tournament. Losers leave and winners move on to the next round.

Unlike an ATP Tour tournament, the draw is not based on traditional seeding. World No. 2 Sinner is relegated to the quarters in his first match against Tsitsipas. At the same time, Alcaraz and Djokovic received a bye to the semis. The other quarter-final match is Zverev vs. Fritz. Some outlets cite that Alcaraz and Djokovic received the byes because they have the most Grand Slam titles of the participants. However, if this philosophy held, Sinner would play in Alcaraz’s half of the draw. Clearly, the bracketing is designed to give Djokovic a better chance to reach the finals. Sounds more like an exhibition than a tournament.

Additionally, the losers of the semi-finals play a third-place match before the finals. With a bye into the semis, Djokovic is guaranteed to be scheduled on the final two days of the event. Sounds like an exhibition. All four quarter-finalists need to win three matches over four days to claim the Six Kings title. For Tsitsipas to win the event, he needs to defeat Sinner and Djokovic on consecutive days. After a day off, he would likely face Alcaraz in the final. Sounds more like a tournament than an exhibition.

The Money

No discussion of the Six Kings is complete without highlighting the payouts. All six participants are guaranteed $1.5 million for playing in Riyadh.

After claiming the $1.5 million for a few days’ work, the winner nabs an astounding $4.5 million more for taking the title. This payout is larger than any Grand Slam event or any event on the ATP Tour. Even Alcaraz admitted in 2024 that the overwhelming money was part of the reason he played in the inaugural Six Kings in 2024. A record payout for the winner of the semi-finals and finals of a tennis event sounds precisely like a professional tournament rather than an exhibition.

The Broadcast

Grand Slam tournaments are televised on ESPN in the United States and on prominent television networks around the world. Exhibitions are often not televised, televised locally, or on niche pay channels like the Tennis Channel. This year, the Six Kings Slam will be televised live on Netflix. Netflix will be showing multiple matches live over the better part of a week, which sure sounds like a professional tournament.

The Location

No discussion of a sporting event sponsored by and held in Saudi Arabia is complete without discussing the host. Saudi Arabia is one of several countries accused of using high-profile sporting events to deflect attention away from government actions. Saudi sponsorship of LIV Golf, Formula One racing, and professional soccer has all drawn the attention of critics of Saudi policies. While they are not alone in this practice, the massive amount of money awarded to a small group of tennis players for a short event draws eyeballs and opinions. World No. 12 Casper Ruud has gone on record saying he does not plan to play events in Saudi Arabia, though he was not invited to the Six Kings.

While the location does not directly make the Six Kings either a professional tournament or an exhibition, it does add to the conversation about this event.

Final Thought

Whatever you call it, the Six Kings is a significant tennis competition. The top 5 players in the world will play. Alcaraz and Sinner, winners of the last eight Grand Slams, may well meet in the final. The winner will take home $6 million. It will be on Netflix for all subscribers to view. It is sure to be a tennis spectacle. Time to play