The Six Kings Slam tennis competition was in a lot of news in 2024 and could be here to stay. In this article we look at everything that there is to know about this tennis tournament that was held for the first time that year in Saudi Arabia – the what, why, who, where and the when of it!
Let’s dig right into this then.
What is the Six Kings Slam?
The Six Kings Slam is an exhibition tennis tournament which was held for the first time in 2024. It was an invitation-only tournament which was hosted in Saudi Arabia and looked to be a part of the Riyadh Season which is a series of events in the entertainment, cultural and sporting sphere.
When was the Six Kings Slam Played?
The first ever edition of the Six Kings Slam was held in October, 2024. It was played over four days between October 16-19 with a rest day on October 18.
What was the Format of this Tournament?
The first edition of the Six Kings Slam was played in a knockout format with six players invited to take part in the competition. Two of these six were given a bye into the semifinal with the other four facing off in the quarterfinals to decide the other two semifinalists.
At the end of the first day, the four semifinalists were found and they faced off on day two to get us our finalists. The third day was a rest-day which was followed by day four on which, both, the third-place match and the final were played.
Here’s the Six Kings Slam Season 1 Schedule:
- Day 1:
- Quarterfinal 1: Daniil Medvedev v Jannik Sinner
- Quarterfinal 2: Carlos Alcaraz v Holger Rune
- Day 2:
- Semifinal 1: Novak Djokovic v Winner of Quarterfinal 1 (Jannik Sinner)
- Semifinal 2: Rafael Nadal v Winner of Quarterfinal 2 (Carlos Alcaraz)
- Day 3: Rest Day
- Day 4:
- Third Place Playoff: Loser of Semifinal 1 (Novak Djokovic) v Loser of Semifinal 2 (Rafael Nadal)
- Final: Winner of Semifinal 1 (Jannik Sinner) v Winner of Semifinal 2 (Carlos Alcaraz)
Where was the Six Kings Slam Hosted?
The The Venue, Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia played host to the Six Kings Slam in 2024. It had a capacity of 8,000 fans and the tickets for this competition cost upward of 150 Riyal (about USD 40 a the time of writing).
What Happened at the First Edition of the Six Kings Slam?
Six players participated in the first ever edition of the Six Kings Slam held in 2024. These were Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune.
Two of these players, Djokovic and Nadal had a bye to the semifinals while the remaining four featured in the quarterfinals on day one of the tournament.
Alcaraz defeated Rune 6-4, 6-2 while Sinner overcame Rune 6-0, 6-3 on day one to set up their semifinals against Nadal and Djokovic respectively.
On day two, Sinner was involved in a brutal battle with Djokovic which went into the third set before the Italian won 6-2, 6-7 (0), 6-4 to make it to the final. Alcaraz had no difficulties getting the better of Nadal, winning 6-3, 6-3.
The third day of the tournament was a rest day (see why below) before Djokovic overcame Nadal 6=2, 7-6 (5) to earn himself the third spot. In the final, Sinner came back from being a set down to overcome Alcaraz and win the title. He grabbed the victory 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3.
Why was the Six Kings Slam Played over Four Days?
The Six Kings Slam had three rounds, quarterfinals, semifinals and final (along with the match for the third place) and could have been played over three days too. However, there was a rest day added to the tournament on what should have been the day three of the tournament on October 18, 2024.
This was done in accordance with ATP’s rule that no player can be a part of an exhibition tennis tournament on three successive days.
What was the Prize Money on Offer?
Each player was offered $1.5 million as participation fee. Over and above this, the winner stood to earn a further $6 million, making it a whopping $7.5 million in prize money for the champion.
To give you a context, the winner of the 2024 US Open which was held around a month before this, earned $3.6 million!
By winning this title in 2024, Sinner pocketed what was the the biggest prize check in tennis history, way more than what Novak Djokovic had made at the 2022 ATP Finals where he had won five matches in a row to grab the title and a pay cheque of $4,740,300.
What were the Ranking Points on Offer?
There were no ATP Rankings Points on offer at this tournament.
How to Watch the Six Kings Slam Live?
The tournament will be broadcast for free on DAZN. In USA, the Six Kings Slam could be watched with Tennis Channel on T2.
Will the Six Kings Slam be Played Again?
As mentioned earlier, the Six Kings Slam was held for the first time in 2024 and we are still awaiting more details on whether or not it will be hosted again in 2025. We will update this space with more information once there is more to discuss. Alternatively, you can also look at the official Riyadh Season website here for their schedule for the 2025 season.
Did Riyadh Host Any Such Exhibition Tennis Tournaments Before Six Kings Slam?
In the 2023-24 Riyadh Season, there was a Riyadh Season Tennis Cup that had Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Ons Jabeur and Aryna Sabalenk that was played at the Kingdom Arena in Boulevard Hall.
Why was the Six Kings Slam in the News Again?
In 2025, the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) sued tennis governing bodies like the ATP, WTA, ITF and ITIA and the Six Kings Slam found a mention in that legal document.
In it, the PTPA gave the example of Holger Rune featuring in this tournament to showcase how participation in tournaments like the Six Kings Slam event could allow non Grand Slam winners to compete against some of the top players in the world – something that is severely restricted by the aforementioned bodies.
