Six Kings Slam looks bad for tennis after Carlos Alcaraz complains bosses are unhappy | Tennis | sport

At the Laver Cup last month, Carlos Alcaraz complained that the tennis schedule “will kill us.” But this week the Spaniard, who has played just two ATP events since the US Open, is playing in the £11.5million Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, where Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic are also vying for the first prize in value of £4.6 million.

That’s almost double the winner’s check that Alcaraz paid out at the French Open and Wimbledon this year. £1.2 million is guaranteed for the appearance alone.

For the six – Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune were also invited to Saudi Arabia – it was simply too good to refuse.

But it looks bad for the sport when players complain about the workload and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek hasn’t played since New York.

The Six Kings Slam marks the start of the tennis season in Saudi Arabia with the WTA Finals next month and the ATP Next Gen Finals in Jeddah in December. And the lucrative exhibition is also a warning for the future of the sport.

Tennis is wary of a repeat of the Saudi cash injection through mainstream golf tournaments that led to the creation of LIV Golf.

And the Six Kings Slam is another example of the kingdom’s financial power. The Hollywood-style trailer will be shown in 200 countries around the world and portrays players as superheroes, further blurring the line between sports and entertainment.

“But it’s not a movie and you won’t watch it because it’s an exhibition tennis event that no one cares about,” Andy Murray said on X.

Attempts by the Saudis to buy a Masters event have so far been unsuccessful. While Australian Open boss Craig Tiley wants to update a fragmented calendar by setting up a premium tour that would require top players to compete in only the major events – the four Grand Slams and the Masters 1000s – according to one Model similar to the PGA Tour’s signature events. Afterwards they could play exhibitions.

But this week there are ATP 250 in Antwerp, Stockholm and Almaty in Kazakhstan – while even the ATP 500 in Vienna next week is affected.

Director Herwig Straka told L’Equipe: “In general, I am not satisfied with these exhibitions. We obviously don’t like this this week because it may prevent us from having certain players in our field, including defending champion Jannik Sinner.

“I hope that we can find a solution this week in Saudi Arabia, where there is a lot of money. We have to find a deal with the Saudis in the future.”

Australians are hesitant to see the season begin with a Masters event in Saudi Arabia in January. February is an alternative, but that would impact the established events of that month.

Casper Ruud, playing in Stockholm this week, admits further events in Saudi Arabia are “inevitable”.

The three-time Grand Slam finalist told SpilXperten: “Of course they have a lot of money and I know what I’m going to say will probably be called sportswashing, but it seems to me that their new leader Mohammed bin Salman wants to do that. “ something and especially many things in sport.

“Let’s see. I’m sure there will be more and more in the future, and there are also a lot of rumors on the ATP tour as to whether there will be an additional tournament in Saudi Arabia. I’ve decided not to go that far “But it seems to me that it’s inevitable that they will somehow become big in tennis in the future and they already have the Next Gen Finals, so let’s see what the future brings.”