Why Are Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz Not Playing Quarterfinal but Jannik Sinner Is? Six Kings Slam Rules Explained

Jannik Sinner will have to play the quarterfinals of the Six Kings Slam, something Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic do not have to do.

The Six Kings Slam is back, with the likes of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic, all competing. After a successful debut in 2024, the exclusive exhibition tournament returns to Riyadh and promises to be one to remember.

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What Are the Format and Rules for the Six Kings Slam?

The Six Kings Slam is not a part of the ATP Tour as it’s a special invitational event. Six top players, chosen by the organizers, battle it out in an elimination format, with the losing semifinalists fighting it out for third spot, while the winners will lock horns in the final. As per ATP rules for off-tour events, players won’t earn any ranking points here.

Why does Jannik Sinner not have a bye to the Semifinals like Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic?

The tournament will feature Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and Taylor Fritz. Earlier, Jack Draper was supposed to play, but the Brit got replaced by Tsitsipas after withdrawing due to his arm injury.

World No. 1 Alcaraz and World No. 5 Djokovic are the top seeds and will start directly in the semifinals. Djokovic was chosen for a bye over defending champion Sinner as the organizers base the rankings on Grand Slam titles won.

Each day will have two matches, leading up to the semifinals and the big finale on Saturday. The quarterfinals will be held on October 15, 2025. The two scheduled matches are Jannik Sinner vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev vs. Taylor Fritz. The semifinals will be held on October 16, 2025, with Alcaraz facing either Fritz or Zverev, and Djokovic locking horns with either Sinner or Tsitsipas.

The final will be played on October 18, 2025.

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Where and When to Watch the 2025 Six Kings Slam

The Six Kings Slam is sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s oil giant Aramco and supported by the country’s Public Investment Fund.

The tournament will take place at BLVD Arena in Riyadh. Matches will be played on October 15, 16, and 18, with October 17 set as the official rest day, given the ATP’s rule prohibiting three consecutive days of competition at exhibition events. The matches will start at 9:30 a.m. PT / 12:30 p.m. ET.

Fans can watch all the action live and on-demand exclusively on Netflix. The platform will also offer behind-the-scenes clips, commentary, and cinematic coverage.

MORE: Taylor Fritz Justifies Playing Six Kings Slam Despite ‘Unfortunate’ Schedule That Doesn’t Let Players ‘Rest Their Bodies’

The 2025 Six Kings Slam Prize Money

Although the Six Kings Slam is an exhibition event, it comes with a huge prize pool. Just like last year, the 2025 edition will also have a total prize purse of $13.5 million. Each player will earn a participation fee of $1.5 million, and the winner will earn an extra $4.5 million. That sums up to $6 million for whoever wins the tournament.

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