The participation fee for the Six Kings Slam has reportedly been $1,500,000 per player, but Taylor Fritz has now told Bolavip that the actual amount players receive simply for participating is considerably lower than what has been reported.
The exhibition in Saudi Arabia has faced heavy criticism amid growing debate surrounding the country’s involvement in international sports. More recently, the event was postponed amid security concerns following attacks in Riyadh.
Despite the controversy, several of the world’s biggest tennis stars have participated in the exhibition and are expected to return. Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are among the leading names associated with the event, while Fritz will also be taking part.
We asked the American star about his decision to play in Saudi Arabia, whether money was a major motivation and what he thinks about the reported participation fees. His response challenged some of the figures that have circulated in the media.
Fritz celebrating a win / Getty Images
Fritz: The participation fee isn’t that much
First, we asked Fritz why he had decided to participate in this year’s edition of the Six Kings Slam. According to the American, the opportunity to compete against some of the best players in the world is one of the main attractions. He also believes the event’s new position in the calendar could make it an important part of his preparation for the upcoming season.
“I mean, I think the Six Kings Slam is an opportunity to play against the best players in the world in a big event, and I think it’s even better now that it’s been moved and going forward it will also be at the start of the season, so I think it’s a great warm up before the season starts,” Fritz starts the interview with Bolavip.
The security situation in Saudi Arabia has also attracted attention following the recent attacks in Riyadh and the subsequent postponement of the exhibition. However, Fritz explained that he has not spent much time considering the potential safety concerns at this stage. Instead, he intends to follow the decisions and experiences of the other players when the event approaches.
“In terms of safety, I think I will just pretty much follow the other players. There is no point in really talking about it now, because there is a good amount of time until then, but mostly I will be trusting the vibe from the other players.”
However, the most interesting part of our conversation came when we asked Fritz about the financial incentives surrounding the Six Kings Slam.
Reports have suggested that players receive approximately $1,500,000 simply for participating, but the American pushed back against those figures. While he acknowledged that there is substantial prize money available for winning the event, he insisted that the reported participation payments have been exaggerated.
“It’s not as much money to participate as the news outlets and rumours have reported. It’s not that much at all, but it is a lot for winning, there is a lot of prize money just like every other tournament, so it doesn’t really feel like an exhibition, it feels like a real event with a lot of pressure.”
Fritz further emphasised that the difference between participation payments and the prize money available for winning is important when discussing the financial side of the exhibition. According to the American, the figures reported by various media outlets regarding how much players receive simply for showing up have become significantly exaggerated.
“A lot of money for winning, for sure, but a lot of the numbers of what players are getting to show up has blown up to be honest with you,” Fritz explains to Bolavip after defeating Cameron Norrie to reach the Stockholm Open quarterfinals.
Casper Ruud: Saudi Arabia’s Masters 1000 event will benefit players financially
While Fritz discussed the financial incentives surrounding the Six Kings Slam, we also spoke to Casper Ruud about Saudi Arabia’s growing involvement in professional tennis and the potential changes coming to the ATP Tour.
The Norwegian shared his thoughts on an open letter recently sent out by ATP President Andrea Gaudenzi, which outlined some of the plans being considered for the future of men’s tennis. Although the full details have not yet been presented, Ruud suggested that some players have already been informed about parts of the proposed changes.
Casper Ruud thanking the crowd in Stockholm / Getty Images
“I think the plan is, as some of the players have been told about, that first of all, there will be a new Masters event in Saudi Arabia from 2028 as we all know,” says Ruud to Bolavip.
The new Saudi Arabian Masters 1000 event is planned to become part of the ATP calendar in 2028. According to Ruud, one of the main objectives behind the investment is to improve the financial compensation received by players. He believes that the substantial financial commitment could eventually translate into increased prize money and better financial conditions across the tour.
“The plan is that the players will be compensated better financially because Saudi Arabia has bought the rights to the Masters tournament and has paid a huge amount of money, which will benefit the players in the end.”
The plan is complicated, but Ruud is a fan of it
The proposed changes go beyond simply introducing another major tournament to the calendar. The ATP is also considering giving greater importance to its biggest events, with increased prize money and more ranking points potentially making the leading tournaments even more significant. Another important part of the discussion concerns the number of smaller tournaments and whether the overall tennis season could eventually become shorter.
Ruud explained that one of the ideas being discussed is to buy out licences for some ATP 500 tournaments, potentially allowing the season to finish several weeks earlier. Such a change would represent a significant restructuring of the calendar, although the Norwegian acknowledged that the process would be complicated because of existing tournament agreements and rights.
“There is also a plan to buy out some of the ATP 500s, so the season can end a few weeks before. I think that’s their plan. It is quite a big plan from the ATP, and they hope they can move tennis even more forward with this plan and have more big and important tournaments than now.”
Casper Ruud in action / Getty Images
Despite the complexity of the proposal, Ruud indicated that many players are supportive of the general direction. He also acknowledged that changing the tournament structure would not be straightforward, particularly because several tournaments hold existing licences and commercial rights. Nevertheless, he believes the overall idea could be positive for the sport.
“It is quite complicated, because a lot of the tournaments have a license, rights and so on, but it is a plan that many of the players are supporting. I can’t speak for all the players ,but I think it looks quite good.”
Another interesting aspect of the proposed financial changes concerns how prize money could be distributed among players. Ruud suggested that those occupying higher positions in the world rankings could receive even greater financial benefits, particularly through increased prize money at the biggest tournaments. This could create additional motivation for players to reach the top of the rankings, although the precise financial structure has yet to be confirmed.
“Apparently, it helps being in a high ranking spot, because then you will get compensated even more financially, especially with the prize money, so now there will be an even higher motivation of being high up in the rankings.”
Ruud also explained that one of the objectives is to ensure that leading players can still receive substantial financial compensation even when they lose in the opening round of a tournament. He admitted that he does not yet know all the details of the proposed changes, but confirmed that the ATP calendar is expected to undergo adjustments, with certain tournaments potentially being moved or disappearing altogether.
“So, of course, the goal is that the top players will be paid more, so even if you lose the first round, you will still get some good prize money. I don’t have all the details yet, but there will for sure be a change in the schedule, some tournaments will be moved around and some tournaments will disappear,” Ruud concludes the interview with Bolavip.
Both Casper Ruud and Taylor Fritz were competing at the Stockholm Open, where Bolavip had the opportunity to speak with the two players about the future of professional tennis.
While Fritz addressed the financial rumours surrounding the Six Kings Slam, Ruud offered insight into the potential restructuring of the ATP Tour and Saudi Arabia’s growing role in the sport. Their comments provide two different perspectives on a development that could have significant consequences for the financial landscape and future direction of men’s tennis.
