There is every chance that tennis should soon play host to a big shake-up akin to the ones endured by boxing, golf and football.
After all, these three sports share one thing in common: they have all been largely overtaken by Saudi Arabia and Middle Eastern influences.
With an unlimited pool of money, it often becomes impossible to deny the demands of these figures, who are moving all the prized fights to their homeland, dominating the Premier League with the Saudi-backed Manchester City, and even starting up their own golfing tour, courting widespread disdain.
It seems the same could now be about to happen with tennis too, given their proposed plans to reform the tennis calendar to facilitate an extra competition: ‘The 6 Kings Slam’.
But what is this proposed competition, and how much could players get paid? We take a closer look…
How much will tennis players get for the ‘6 Kings Slam’?
Unsurprisingly, the fees being thrown around regarding this proposed new event are ludicrous.
In fact, as reported by The Telegraph, they are some of the biggest potential prize funds ever seen in the sport.
The controversy stems from the fact that, their plan to run this tournament in October, directly clashes with the ATP Tour. However, that could prove a better alternative than the Saudi ‘super tour‘ also being touted.
However, the financial incentive is thought to be big enough to pry some of the game’s biggest stars away, with Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz just three of the six names set to be battling for the reported $6m (£4.8m) winners fund.
Those selected to play are also expected to receive $1.5m (£1.2m) just for turning up.
For context, the winner of last month’s men’s Australian Open, Jannik Sinner, netted just £1.5m.
What does this mean for tennis?
Well, it has felt like tennis was moving towards a Saudi Arabian-led future in recent years, given how its involvement in the sport has been growing.
That is, despite many events in the Middle East lacking any huge crowds, thus sparking some debate over the motivations behind this move.
At the back end of 2023, Aryna Sabalenka enjoyed an exhibition match in Riyadh, which she praised as a hospitable trip that eased her fears.
This came just before Alcaraz and Djokovic clashed too in a pre-season match, with the PIF clearly seeking to tempt these big stars in an effort to grow the sport in their homeland.
WIth Rafa Nadal as their latest ambassador, slowly the tide is turning towards their investment and subsequent involvement.
However, should it end up interrupting the already-packed tennis calendar, overshadowing some of the smaller events with their undeniably lucrative competitions, it could prove catastrophic to move away from a traditional schedule in favour of these untold riches.
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