Rafael Nadal & Novak Djokovic news: What to expect of the duo this week? | October 14-20
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal made headlines for different reasons in the past week. The former returned to form with a runner-up finish at the Shanghai Masters after a third-round exit from the US Open. The latter, meanwhile, announced his retirement.
Nadal will hang up his racquet for good in front of his home crowd at the Davis Cup Finals in November. However, he will take to the court before that at the Six Kings Slam, an exhibition event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from October 16-19.
Djokovic and Nadal lead the field for the six-man exhibition tournament, which also includes Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune. The two greats of the sport have received a direct bye into the semifinals, while the other four will battle it out to make the cut for the last four.
The tournament will begin on Wednesday, October 16, with the two quarterfinal matches. Sinner and Medvedev will face off, with the winner going on to meet Djokovic. Alcaraz and Rune will lock horns in the other duel, and the winner will take on Nadal.
The semifinals will be held on Thursday, October 17, while Friday will be a day of rest for the players. The winner will be crowned on Saturday, October 19, and there will be another match to decide the third place.
The loaded field is a great opportunity for fans to catch a glimpse of some in-form players. It is also a chance to see the Spaniard in action before his impending retirement later this year.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic led Six Kings Slam to reward the winner with a $6 million payout
The winner of the Six Kings Slam will receive a whopping $6 million in prize money, the largest sum in tennis history. Djokovic is the current record holder with his $4.7 million payday for winning the ATP Finals in 2022.
Every player competing in the Six Kings Slam is guaranteed to earn at least $1.5 million, with the rest of the amount being dependent on their results. The prize money at this event easily trumps the amount on offer at the Majors and other tournaments.
A runner-up at one of the four Majors earns around $1.5 million, and the winner upwards of $3 million, though that is the reward for competing in seven matches. This exhibition tournament allows the players to match the runner-up amount by playing just one match, and the potential to earn more with every win.
Aside from the financial aspect of the event, this will be the final opportunity for fans to see Nadal and Djokovic in the same tournament. Serbia hasn't qualified for the Davis Cup Finals, so a showdown between them won't be possible there. Their most recent meeting was at the Paris Olympics, in which the Serb came out on top en route to winning the gold medal.