Djokovic and Nadal with a bye into the semifinals · tennisnet.com

The game plan was published for the “Six Kings Slam”, which is worth around 15 million US dollars and is being held as a highly prized show event from October 16th to 19th in Saudi Arabia Novak Djokovicand Rafael Nadal reach the semi-finals without a fight.

The advertising drum for the “Six Kings Slam”, which was endowed with around 15 million euros, was professionally stirred in a sensational manner. Hardly any tennis fan would have missed the high-quality, somewhat martial trailer for the new show event in Saudi Arabia.

It was all the more exciting to see what the match program would look like on the three match days, interrupted by the rest day prescribed by the ATP. Almost boring and sportingly questionable, the event now comes with a “normal” knockout system, in which two participants, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, can avoid the reduced quarter-finals and will only enter the round of the last four.

The event starts on October 16th with the new edition of this year’s Australian Open final between Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev, with the winner meeting the 24-time Grand Slam champion from Serbia the following day. In the second match of the opening day, Carlos Alcaraz will meet Holger Rune, the only non-Grand Slam champion in the field, in order to qualify for the all-Spanish duel against the 22-time Grand Slam champion from Manacor if he wins. After the two semi-finals on Thursday, October 17th, the final will take place on Saturday, October 19th after a day of rest.

There are of course plenty of reasons why Nadal and Djokovic of all people are able to enjoy a late entry into the tournament. As members of the “Big3”, the two have by far the most Grand Slam titles. In addition, protecting the two oldest participants in the field increases the chance that the two figureheads will stay in the competition for as long as possible. Nadal’s role as Saudi Arabia’s tennis ambassador is also unlikely to have worked to his disadvantage. Nevertheless, this mode with unequal operating times may not have increased the sporting reputation of the show event.

The event will be broadcast in Germany, Austria and Switzerland on the streaming provider DAZN, which will show all matches free of charge for everyone who has an account there.