The tournament of six star players organized in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, has been talked about above all because of the high prize money.
The tennis tournament Six Kings Slam hosted by Saudi Arabia ended on Saturday with the Italian Jannik Sinner to victory. For his victory, Sinner received the largest prize pool in tennis history, no less than six million US dollars. He played only three matches in the tournament.
By comparison, the prize money for winning a singles Grand Slam tournament is $3.8 million, even though seven matches are accumulated.
The invitational tournament in Saudi Arabia is not approved by the ATP, so participation does not affect the ranking points of the players.
The tournament played in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, has made headlines above all because of the huge prize money. The organizers paid the players a starting fee of one and a half million dollars just for participating. For example, a Russian player Daniil Medvedev lost his opening match to Sinner 0–6, 3–6, and still received a significant prize pool.
The world number one player Sinner defeated the Spaniard in the final Carlos Alcarazin 6–7 (5–7), 6–3, 6–3. In the bronze medal match Novak Djokovic won the career-ending one Rafael Nadal 6–2, 7–6 (7–5).
Even before its lucrative tennis tournament, Saudi Arabia has tried to gain a foothold in the sports world. It has been made possible by billions of investments in international sports events. The country has attracted athletes to its series and events with unimaginable salaries and rewards. For example, famous top players from Europe have moved to the Saudi Arabian football league after high salaries.
In the 2020s, Saudi Arabia has organized giant events in Formula One, golf and boxing. In 2022, the country was awarded the Asian Winter Games in 2029.