The prize money for this year's Six Kings exhibition is outrageously high: easily surpassing Grand Slams and Masters tournaments.

As the season nears its end, the atmosphere feels mixed with both joy and sorrow. Yet tennis exhibitions consistently reignite fan enthusiasm, and the "Six Kings" event is poised to achieve that! Since its inaugural edition last year in Riyadh, the tournament has become a global highlight, featuring six of the top ATP players such as Djokovic, Sinner, and Alcaraz battling for substantial prize money. Now, with the second edition approaching, many wonder: what are the stakes this year?

This week, Saudi Arabia once again shines the spotlight on the high-stakes exhibition—the "Six Kings"—where five of the world's top ten male singles players will compete for honor and a huge prize fund. The total prize money remains $13.5 million, equal to last year, with each participant guaranteed $1.5 million just for showing up. The champion will receive an additional $4.5 million, totaling $6 million—a prize that Sinner claimed last year. Reportedly, some players earn seven-figure appearance fees merely for participating.

This event does not award ATP ranking points nor affect head-to-head records—it is purely a tennis entertainment spectacle. Matches will take place on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, since ATP rules prohibit players from competing three consecutive days in exhibitions. The venue is Riyadh’s ANB Stadium, which holds 8,000 spectators and forms part of the city's annual "Riyadh Season" festival that blends sports with music and light shows. Matches are best-of-three sets and will be broadcast live on Netflix. So, who will compete for this enormous prize this year?

As the name suggests, this week's "Six Kings" features only six players, resulting in a unique format. Following the 2024 rules: two seeded players advance directly to the semifinals, while the other four battle for the remaining two spots. The lineup is star-studded—World No.1 Alcaraz, No.2 Sinner, No.3 Zverev, 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, No.4 Fritz, and two-time Grand Slam finalist Tsitsipas (replacing British player Draper, who ended his season early due to an arm injury).

The seeds are unsurprisingly Djokovic and Alcaraz—the two stars with the most Grand Slam titles on the list (24 and 6 respectively). They are placed at opposite ends of the draw, meaning a dream showdown could still happen. In the first round, Sinner faces Tsitsipas, with the winner meeting Djokovic; on the other side, Zverev and Fritz clash, with the victor challenging Alcaraz.

Like most exhibitions, the event’s purpose is entertainment and promoting tennis. The organizers understand that top stars attract both audiences and TV ratings. History has proven this—back in 2020, Federer and Nadal drew 51,954 spectators in Cape Town, setting a tennis attendance record, even though that match was unofficial.

Alcaraz is undoubtedly one of the players who best embodies the exhibition spirit; this Spanish prodigy consistently ignites the crowd with creativity and showmanship. Earlier this year, he played against Shelton and Tiafoe in New York and North Carolina, then joined Tiafoe at an event in Puerto Rico. In December, he will appear alongside Raducanu and Anisimova in New Jersey. On the other hand, this tournament has also sparked criticism from official events—many complain the prize money is "excessively high!"

All six superstars are guaranteed $1.5 million appearance fees, while the champion receives an extra $4.5 million, totaling $6 million—a sum that easily surpasses the prize money for singles winners at the four Grand Slams.

In the 2025 Grand Slam tournaments, prize money remains substantial: the Australian Open awards $3.5 million to the winner and $1.9 million to the runner-up; the French Open offers €2,550,000 (about $2,949,878) to the champion and €1,275,000 (around $1,474,939) to the finalist; Wimbledon grants £3 million (approximately $3,999,900) to the winner and £1,520,000 (about $2,026,616) to the runner-up; the US Open has the highest payouts, with $5 million for the champion and $2.5 million for the runner-up.

ATP Masters tournaments also feature large prize pools, but individual earnings are much lower. Indian Wells and Miami each have total prize money just over $19 million; Madrid and Rome exceed $9.3 million; Monte Carlo is slightly less. Toronto, Montreal, Cincinnati, and Shanghai Masters offer about $9.2 million in total, while the Cincinnati WTA event has a $5.1 million prize pool.

As the event approaches, the atmosphere in Riyadh grows increasingly vibrant. Zverev and Sinner have already arrived, with Alcaraz, Djokovic, Fritz, and Tsitsipas set to join soon. With the "Six Kings" kicking off on Wednesday, the world is buzzing about who will claim this record-breaking prize and global attention. What’s your take? Who do you think will ultimately take home the grand prize?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)