Jannik Sinner on $6 million Saudi purse: 'I don't play for money'

Earlier this month, Jannik Sinner earned $6 million — the biggest purse in tennis history — for winning just three matches at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia.

The optics of Sinner netting nearly twice for an exhibition event than the $3.6 million he won at the U.S. Open, the highest-paying major, has raised some alarm bells. 

Some believe tennis' integrity is compromised when players can earn large sums for playing at events with no ATP points at stake. 

Sinner himself doesn't view it that way. In an interview with EuroSport's Samuel Rooke, the Italian said he didn't play in Saudi Arabia just for the whopping prize money. 

"I don't play for money," Sinner stressed. "It's very simple. Of course, it's a nice prize, but I went there because there were possibly the six best players in the world and you can measure yourself with them. It was also a nice event... I played the matches in the right way and this can hopefully improve me as a player also for the future. Of course, the money is important, but not that much. I live a good life also without this money."

Sinner added that the money "is just an extra" when his bigger priorities were his health, family and the people he surrounds himself with.

In fairness to Sinner, he was chosen to play in the Six Kings Slam due to his exploits on the ATP circuit. Five of the six invitees — Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune — were former grand slam winners and the other (Rune) reached a career-high ranking of World No. 4 last year. 

As such, one could argue that the event, which saw all six players walk away with at least $1.5 million in participation fees, was built on a system of meritocracy. 

While many continue to oppose the idea of tennis being played in Saudi Arabia due to the country's human rights situation, all signs point to more events being held in the Kingdom.

Next month's WTA Finals and December's ATP Next Gen Finals are only the tip of the iceberg. According to multiple reports, Saudi Arabia is trying to secure an ATP 1000 event and will continue to lure players with big paydays in the coming years.