What is Six Kings Slam? Selection process, format, founder and more explained ahead of Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner-led blockbuster 2025 edition

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The top names in men's tennis, led by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, are set to headline the Six Kings Slam 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Italian beat his chief rival in the final to win last year's edition. Joining the world's top two players are 24-time Major champion Novak Djokovic, as well as Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

This will be the second edition of the Six Kings Slam following its debut in 2024. The exhibition event will take place from October 15-18. With the tour's very best set to collide, here's everything to know about the tournament heading into this year's edition:

Six Kings Slam: Organizers and Founders

The Saudi Arabia government itself is the brains behind the extravagant exhibition event. It is a part of its 'Riyadh Season' initiative, which comprises various sporting and cultural events to highlight the nation's capabilities and attract the interest of audiences worldwide.

The tournament is sponsored by Aramco, Saudi Arabia's national oil and petroleum company, along with the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the country's sovereign wealth fund. PIF has become significantly involved in tennis over the past few years, investing in many high-profile events across the men's and women's tours.

The main task of organizing the whole tournament falls upon the Saudi General Entertainment Authority (GEA), a government body overseeing everything related to promotion of entertainment in Saudi Arabia. Even within this body, one person shoulders most of the responsibility, Turki bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Sheikh, who's the chairman of the GEA. The Six Kings Slam will take place at the ANB Arena, a modern stadium with a seating capacity of 8,000.

Six Kings Slam: Players and Selection Process

The tournament is an invite-only event, thus leaving the selection of eligible candidates to the organizers' discretion. So far only the biggest stars in the game have been invited to compete, ensuring they have enough of a crowd pull to make the event a massive success.

The debut edition of the tournament was spearheaded by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, along with Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune. Djokovic, Sinner and Alcaraz are back this year as well, with Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz and Stefanos Tsitsipas in tow.

Six Kings Slam: Format

The tournament will be held in a knockout format. Grand Slam accomplishments are factored when it comes to seedings. Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are the two most decorated players with respect to achievements at the Majors, and thus have received a bye into the semifinals.

The quarterfinal line-up will see Taylor Fritz facing Alexander Zverev, with the winner going on to meet Alcaraz. Jannik Sinner will take on Stefanos Tsitsipas, with the winner setting up a date with Djokovic.

Six Kings Slam: Prize Money

Every participant is guaranteed to make $1.5 million, regardless of how far they go in the tournament. The winner will receive an additional $4.5 million, and will take home a total of $6 million in prize money, making this the most lucrative event in tennis.

Six Kings Slam: Schedule and Where to Watch

All matches will be broadcast live on Netflix. The quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be contested on Wednesday and Thursday (October 15-16). Since exhibition events can't go on for three consecutive days as per ATP guidelines, Friday is a day of rest. The competition will resume on Saturday, October 17, with the final and a match to decide the third place.

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About the author

Rohit

Rohit is a journalist at Sportskeeda who specializes in covering tennis. Having been with the company for four years, he has proven himself as a formidable force in the field. With a Master's degree in law, Rohit brings his analytical and research skills to the forefront as a journalist. He stays on top of the game by using social media platforms and never misses a match for on-court insights. He values giving credit where it's due, keeping his reporting fair and accurate.

At the outset of his career, Rohit found his niche in writing previews and SEO pieces and it's this expertise that continues to define his role at Sportskeeda. He is particularly proud of one article that garnered an impressive 750k views and surpassed his "wildest dreams." Rohit is not particularly fond of (GOAT) debates and it is one of the reasons why he left the legal world behind. He prefers to view players in "tiers," where they're all esteemed to an extent. However, if pressed to name favorites, he would choose Serena and Venus Williams. The Williams sisters' journey from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of tennis has been his greatest source of inspiration.

When he isn't busy making spot-on predictions about match outcomes, Rohit likes reading, particularly fantasy, sci-fi, and comics. As an X-Men fanatic, he's also passionate about board games and enjoys watching movies in his spare time. And don't be surprised if you catch him silently wishing to the tennis gods for the removal of ad scoring from doubles.

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