Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are gearing up for another thrilling showdown, following their epic clash at the China Open earlier this month. In the Beijing final, Alcaraz defeated Sinner in a pulsating contest. They will renew their rivalry in the Six Kings Slam final on Saturday and will be looking to make history by winning the highest-ever prize money offered in a tennis tournament.
The exhibition tournament in Riyadh is offering a massive $6 million prize money to the winner. Never in the history of tennis has such an amount been awarded to a tournament champion. Even the prize money for a Grand Slam singles champion is nowhere near this amount.
The US Open 2024 had the highest prize pool on the Tour, with the winner taking home $3.6 million. Thus, the money offered to the winner of the Six Kings Slam is double that of a Grand Slam champion. With this, either Sinner or Alcaraz will become the first to win the highest prize money in tennis history.
Before this, the highest earnings for both players came from their Grand Slam titles this year. While Sinner won $3.6 million after clinching the 2024 US Open title, Alcaraz pocketed $3.5 million following his Wimbledon triumph this year.
What are the appearance fees for Six Kings Slam participants?
Not only the winner, but even the participants of the Six Kings Slam stand to take home a large sum of money. All six players – Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune, Sinner and Alcaraz – are guaranteed $1.5 million as their appearance fee.
The Six Kings Slam’s massive prize pool could potentially change the dynamics of tennis. It might inadvertently push the ATP to offer more prize money for Grand Slams and ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in the future.
For a while now, complaints about insufficient fees or prize money have been pouring in from various players, particularly those ranked outside the Top 20. Many players have openly expressed their disappointment, pointing out that, despite playing extensively throughout the year, they aren’t earning enough to meet some of their sporting requirements.
Hence, it will be interesting to see how much impact the exhibition tournament in Riyadh will have on the ATP potentially revising their prize money in the future.
