Novak Djokovic will feature in a Saudi Arabia-backed exhibition tournament called 6 Kings Slam in October 2024. As the news emerged on X (formerly Twitter), many took shots at the Serb’s fan group, Nolefam, and a certain superfan who had slammed Rafael Nadal for his association with the Gulf nation.
Nadal recently became the brand ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation, inviting the ire of many fans on social media. The country is widely accused of ‘sportswashing’ to gloss over its allegedly poor human rights record. Djokovic’s fans took this as an opportunity to troll the Spaniard. Pavvy G, one of the most polarising fans of the World No.1 on X, made multiple posts ridiculing Nadal for his collaboration with Saudi Arabia.
Now, with the news of Djokovic participating in Saudi Arabia’s latest tennis project, many fans hit back at the Nolefam. He will play in the exhibition event in October, a month when the ATP calendar has events like the Shanghai and Paris Masters. X users mocked Djokovic’s fans about him taking part in the tournament in Riyadh. Some even specifically targeted Pavvy G.
More fans joined in on trolling Djokovic’s fans and sarcastically asking where they are now.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal headline star-studded lineup
This is not the first time Djokovic has agreed to participate in an exhibition match in Saudi Arabia, also playing one in December 2023. During the off-season last year, he played Carlos Alcaraz in the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup. While that was just a one-off tie, the 6 Kings Slam will presumably be a longer tournament.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will both return to Saudi Arabia for the exhibition event. Rafael Nadal will also join them. 2024 Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner and runner-up Daniil Medvedev are also slated to feature. Holger Rune completes the six-man field for the tournament scheduled for October 2024. Exact dates and further details about the format will be released soon.
