"Stupid a** tournament"; "Tell them to go f**k themselves" - Fans furious over Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner-led Six Kings Slam's 'strange' schedule

Fans have raised questions about the Six Kings Slam exhibition draw after Jannik Sinner was not given a bye, unlike Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. The Italian will have to compete in a quarterfinal, while Alcaraz and Djokovic are already placed directly in the semifinals.

The Six Kings Slam exhibition event will be played in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is known for its extravagant prize money, with the six players, including Alcaraz, Djokovic, Sinner, Taylor Fritz, Alexander Zverev, and Stefanos Tsitsipas, guaranteed a sum of $1.5 million.

Sinner won the event last year and bagged the $6 million winning prize. This year, however, he has been placed in the quarterfinals. He will take on Tsitsipas on Day 1 of the event, with the winner facing Djokovic in the semis. Meanwhile, Fritz will face Zverev, and the winner will take on Alcaraz.

After the schedule was posted online, fans expressed their anger at the draw. Many slammed the event, claiming that Sinner not receiving a bye makes no sense.

"Let’s just flop this stupid a** tournament it’s not like u need money for lawyers anymore," one fan wrote.

angela

@sinjanniks

let’s just flop this stupid ass tournament it’s not like u need money for lawyers anymore

"If anything Jannik and Carlos needs a bye and unc needs to tussle it out. And mind you Jannik is the DEFENDING CHAMP smft 🤬" another fan wrote.

"Jannik please tell them to go f**k themselves," a third fan wrote.

Here are a few more fan reactions to the Six Kings Slam schedule.

"Why is Novak getting a bye instead of Sinner? Jannik won it last year and is ranked higher than Djoko. Not trying to imply anything, just genuinely curious as to what the reasoning is behind that?" one fan on Reddit asked.

One fan had several questions bundled into one comment on Reddit. They wrote:

"I'd laugh if Zverev wins this one when it doesn't count in the H2H. Why does Sinner not get a bye when he won last year? Why does Djokovic get a bye? Why am I trying to make sense of this?"

"Kind of weird to see Carlos get a bye but Sinner having to play. They are in the same category as players for me, strange to see them getting different treatment," yet another fan wrote.

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Six Kings Slam ft. Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic returns in October 2025

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz with their trophies at the Six Kings Slam 2024 - Source: Getty

The Six Kings Slam made a splash in October 2024 as a star-packed exhibition held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Over four days (with a rest day to comply with exhibition rules), six of tennis’s biggest names competed for massive prize money.

Jannik Sinner won the inaugural title by defeating Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3 in the final. Novak Djokovic secured third place by defeating Rafael Nadal, in what was one of Nadal’s final singles matches.

But while fans were dazzled by the spectacle, the event also drew criticism. Skeptics accused Saudi Arabia of sportswashing, using flashy sports events to polish its international image.

Looking ahead to 2025, the second edition is scheduled for October 15-18 in Riyadh’s ANB Arena. The original lineup included Jack Draper, but due to an arm injury forcing him to end his season, Stefanos Tsitsipas has been named as his replacement. Another major change this year includes Netflix securing global streaming rights.