Tennis star Taylor Fritz is defending the Six Kings Slam tournament from the critics. The Saudi-funded exhibition tournament that takes place in Riyadh has been equally fascinating and controversial. While others wondered whether the tournament had any legitimacy, Fritz has no hesitation to outline why he is there for the competition itself, for the exposure it provides, and of course, for the money.
I’d love for them to show me a tournament where you can play three matches and potentially make six million dollars. The money is nothing we’re trying to hide. It’s a motivation, for sure
The American joins an elite group of players like Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz in what has been named the ‘tennis’s richest exhibition‘ which has a total $13.5 million prize pool. Leaving aside the controversy surrounding the event’s timing and location, Fritz still insists the Six Kings Slam is a chance to help the game expand and reach a new number of fans.
Fritz and Sinner hit back at critics
Both Fritz and Sinner gave their opinions about the critics who argue that events such as the Six Kings Slam are organized in an attempt to steal the spotlight from official ATP events. Fritz himself does not share that opinion:
It’s still tennis – great players, big matches, and fans who love to see it. That’s what matters
The 26-year-old has the view that such events could peacefully co-exist with classic tournaments, like the Laver Cup, which started life as an exhibition and turned out to be one of the sport’s most-viewed spectacles. “You can’t complain about growing the game and then criticize when players try new things,” Fritz said.
A new type of tennis event
There have been complaints about the morality of hosting international sporting competitions in countries like Saudi Arabia, where human rights are often threatened by an oppressive state, but also for the time-management issues for players with ATP engagements. For Fritz, the Six Kings Slam is much a celebration as it is a tournament.
It’s going to be live on Netflix, and you’ll get not just tennis fans but a different audience too. That’s huge for the sport
His stance underscores a generational shift in tennis, where players openly acknowledge financial motivation without hesitation. For a player ranked among the world’s best, he is being pragmatic: fewer matches, bigger stakes, global exposure… it is hard to argue with that maths.
Love it or hate it, the Six Kings Slam is the new tennis entertainment. To defend the event is not merely about defending millions of dollars, it is supposed to embrace a future in which tennis changes to suit contemporary audiences, media, and player standards.
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