Stefanos Tsitsipas has been handed a lucrative opportunity in men’s tennis’ newest high-profile exhibition, the Six Kings Slam. The Greek star steps in after a last-minute change and will receive $1.5 million for his appearance in Riyadh this October.
Which Player’s Withdrawal Opened the Door for Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Six Kings Slam?
The Six Kings Slam is part of the Riyadh Season, Saudi Arabia’s annual sports and entertainment festival. Although not included in the official ATP Tour calendar, the event has quickly become a global spectacle thanks to its star power, prime indoor hard-court setting at the ANB Arena, and eye-catching financial rewards. Last year’s inaugural edition saw Sinner overcome Alcaraz in a thrilling three-set final.
Tsitsipas was officially offered $1.5 million to appear. He stepped in after Jack Draper withdrew with a season-ending arm injury. He joins defending champion Sinner, Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, and Taylor Fritz.
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🇬🇷 Stefanos Tsitsipas replaces Jack Draper for the 2025 Six Kings Slam
👇 Full line-up:
Jannik Sinner 🇮🇹
Carlos Alcaraz 🇪🇸
Novak Djokovic 🇷🇸
Alexander Zverev 🇩🇪
Taylor Fritz 🇺🇸
Stefanos Tsitsipas 🇬🇷 pic.twitter.com/Yr7Ru4b2tT— Olly Tennis 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) September 17, 2025
What makes this exhibition particularly hard to ignore is its financial structure. Each of the six players is guaranteed a $1.5 million appearance fee. On top of that, the eventual champion will collect an additional $4.5 million, bringing the winner’s purse to a staggering $6 million.
With those numbers, the Six Kings Slam offers payouts that rival or even surpass some of the sport’s most significant sanctioned events.
Tsitsipas Explains Why He Stepped Away from Social Media
In a conversation with Sports DNA, Tsitsipas explained why he stepped away from social media and spoke about promoting mental health awareness, following in the footsteps of advocates like Naomi Osaka and Grigor Dimitrov.
“I spoke with the team that helps me with social media and I chose to unfollow all the people I was following on social media. I’ve been finding my peace, disconnecting from the stress through social media, which is wrong. I take out all my stress by going on social media and watching videos etc. for hours, because I like them,” Tsitsipas said.
“My goal is to show that I’m getting off social media and to give young kids, an incentive to get out there too. It’s about mental health, something that Grigor Dimitrov, Andrey Rublev and Naomi Osaka have recently mentioned, and I wanted to support that. I want young kids to be dedicated to real life, playing sports, going out, doing activities that I did when I was little. There should be a better quality of life for everyone,” he added.
Tsitsipas’ comments came after a period of inconsistent tour results, suggesting that the pressures of professional tennis and social media scrutiny were affecting his mental well-being.