Glitz, glamour, and a star-studded lineup: Six Kings Slam has it all. Yet, the prize purse remains the most talked-about aspect of this exhibition event. However, as the event gears up for its third edition, Taylor Fritz offered a reality check that seems to have been missing from this context.
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The media reported that players who have agreed to participate will receive $1.5 million as an appearance fee for the event, while the winner will additionally receive a whopping $6 million. But Fritz claims it isn’t entirely true.
“It’s not as much money to participate as the news outlets and rumours have reported.” he said in an interview with Bolavip. “It’s not that much at all, but it is a lot for winning, there is a lot of prize money just like every other tournament.
So it doesn’t really feel like an exhibition, it feels like a real event with a lot of pressure. A lot of money for winning, for sure, but a lot of the numbers of what players are getting to show up has blown up to be honest with you.”
Andy Roddick, in his Served podcast two years back, admitted that the amount of money that he received in Saudi Arabia in 2009 was around $500k and probably the biggest paycheck of his career. However, he didn’t even win the tournament, and it came purely as an appearance fee. Fritz, too, talks about this specific aspect, which has not been discussed widely in the tennis world, even though it has been a popular practice for years.
Roddick also revealed in the podcast that, other than Masters 1000 or Majors, all events, irrespective of whether they are under ATP’s jurisdiction or not, pay these outrageous appearance fees to have big names in their events.
The sellability of a player translates to the amount of money that a player receives for their appearance at an event. You may think rankings play a part in this, but that is not the case at all.
Recently, a major chunk of discussion revolves around why Venus Williams is given wildcards in tournaments irrespective of her not being able to advance beyond the first round. But the truth is, her name sells tickets and makes the event she participates in something that will get the attention of the press and media. And at the end of the day, that is all that matters for the business of sports.
Nick Kyrgios, who has never been a Top 10 player in his career, probably even now receives appearance fees higher than those of, let’s say, Lorenzo Musetti or Arthur Fils. Because these appearance fees revolve entirely around the stardom of a player.
Although Fritz addresses this conversation indirectly, he has not confirmed how much they are actually being paid even before they hit a ball in the event. Saudi Arabia, especially, is a strong catalyst for this conversation because of their increased involvement in global sports, among which tennis has been a central focus.
Is Saudi Arabia a Tennis Hotspot Even After WTA Finals Shift and Six Kings Slam Postponement?
Geopolitical tensions have led to a major change in the conversation about Saudi Arabia and its prospect as a tennis hotspot. Due to growing instability in the Persian Gulf, the WTA Finals venue was changed this year from Riyadh to Indian Wells and will be moved for three years to Charlotte from 2027.
The Six Kings Slam too fell prey to the unrest after its initially set dates, October 21-24, were moved to December 27-30, 2026. And even after the changed dates, the security concern for these players still remains.
Earlier this year, a conversation around a tenth Masters event being introduced in Saudi Arabia arose, but that too seems to have hit a standstill. While the country is a major force in terms of infrastructural growth in tennis and financial contribution, the country’s political unrest remains a major cause of concern for its expansion into global tennis.