With 2024 drawing to a close some of the game’s top stars are looking back on the Six Kings Slam which took place in Saudi Arabia earlier this month.
Jannik Sinner prevailed at the tournament, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in three sets during a final which saw him claim a comeback victory.
A third-place play-off was contested between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, with the Serbian coming out on top during what is likely to be the pair’s last-ever match together.
Nadal has announced his retirement after the Davis Cup which takes place next month and it was a great sight to see the pair taking on each other in Saudi Arabia.
Much has been made of the Six Kings Slam. Any sport over in Saudi Arabia gets tarnished with sportswashing claims and this tennis showpiece hasn’t proved an exception.
After Sinner claimed that his sole motivation for participating in the Six Kings Slam wasn’t money, Alcaraz has now delivered a brutally honest claim about why he chose to play in it.
Tennis fans react to Carlos Alcaraz latest comments on Six Kings Slam money
Each player received a whopping £1.1 million for just taking part in the Six Kings Slam and that is great work if you can get it.
Sinner – the winner of the £4.5 million first prize – claimed that he wasn’t motivated by the money alone but Alcaraz has been more honest.
He said: “If I tell you that I went there only to have fun without thinking about the money I would be lying. Everybody works also for money. That’s life. I love tennis and I play for fun too, but that event had the biggest prize money ever. That was motivation.”
Now, tennis fans have reacted and Alcaraz has been praised for his brutal honesty when it came to being quizzed on the financial side of a tournament with zero prestige.
Another fan kept it short and sweet, claiming: “Carlos knows.”
Another fan claimed this was a similar response to one that Djokovic might give, posting: “Very honest from Alcaraz. I’m impressed. Learning from the Novak playbook.”
Another fan claimed: “W for keeping it real for Alcaraz.”
Sport in Saudi Arabis is going nowhere any time soon
A sport like tennis can be a very short career and it’s no surprise to see the top players accept the invites to play at a tournament in Saudi Arabia.
It’s happened in snooker, darts and golf, whilst football has even been revamped to try and tempt the top stars over to play in the country.
Tennis isn’t unique and fair play to Alcaraz for saying it how it is when it comes to the motivation for him heading over to play over there.
Saudi Arabia are continuing to invest big in sport and there’s absolutely no chance that it’s going anywhere any time soon.
In 12 months time the same discussions will probably come to light and it’s unlikely that sport in Saudi Arabia will be accepted as normal any time soon.
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