Daniil Medvedev recently opened up about his decision not to compete at the 2025 Six Kings Slam. He explained that he “understood” that he would not be invited to participate alongside top players such as Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and others due to his current ranking.
In 2024, Medvedev took part in the inaugural edition of the Six Kings Slam, competing alongside Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner, Rafael Nadal, and Holger Rune. In that tournament, he faced the Italian in the quarterfinals and lost with a scoreline of 0-6, 3-6.
Daniil Medvedev Reveals Why He Did Not Compete at the 2025 Six Kings Slam
This year, at the Six Kings Slam, in addition to Djokovic, Alcaraz, and Sinner, players such as Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and Taylor Fritz also participated in the exhibition tournament held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Tsitsipas, currently ranked World No. 24, entered the tournament as a replacement for Jack Draper, who withdrew due to a season-ending arm injury. Although Medvedev is currently ranked higher (World No. 14) than the Greek, he was not asked to step in for Draper.
Medvedev is currently competing at the 2025 Almaty Open in Kazakhstan. He is seeded second at the tournament, and he began his campaign with a victory over Adam Walton (7-5, 7-6(0)) in his opening match and then defeated Fábián Marozsán 7-5, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
In an interview with the Daily Express, Medvedev explained why he chose not to participate in this year’s Six Kings Slam, which has a participation fee of $1.5 million and a $6 million prize for the winner. He clarified that, as far as he knows, the $1.5 million amount does not apply to each player, as it depends on various factors.
The former World No. 1 acknowledged that due to his drop in the singles ATP rankings, he “understood” that he probably would not be invited to the exhibition tournament, as they typically invite the top six players.
“It’s actually a bit more complicated. First, as far as I know, it’s not $1.5 million per player – it depends on several factors. Since I’ve dropped in the rankings, I understood that I probably wouldn’t be invited, because they usually take the top six – last year they only made an exception for Rafa [Nadal],” Medvedev said.
Medvedev stated that after realizing this, he decided to focus on competing at the 2025 Almaty Open and has no regrets about potentially missing out on bagging the lucrative prize money from the exhibition event.
“So I entered the tournament in Kazakhstan, and once I commit to something, I follow through. Maybe there were some discussions elsewhere, but generally, if I’ve agreed to play somewhere, I keep my word. That’s why I’m here, and I don’t regret it. Besides, I need ranking points and real match play, so I’ll try to deliver some good tennis,” he added.
In the lead-up to his campaign in Kazakhstan, Medvedev participated in the 2025 Shanghai Masters, where he reached the semifinals before losing to eventual runner-up Arthur Rinderknech.
Who Will Medvedev Face at the 2025 Almaty Open SF?
Following his win over Marozsán in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Almaty Open, Medvedev is set to face qualifier James Duckworth in the semifinals of the tournament.
Duckworth earned his spot in the main draw of the ATP 250 hard-court tournament by winning his matches in the qualifying rounds. He first overcame Saba Purtseladze 6-3, 1-0 (retd.) in the first qualifying round and then eliminated Mikhail Kukushkin with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in the second qualifying round.
In the main draw, Duckworth defeated qualifier Ugo Blanchet 6-3, 6-4 and seventh seed Gabriel Diallo 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-4 in the first and second rounds, respectively. He secured his semifinals spot against Medvedev by defeating third seed Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
Medvedev and Duckworth have faced each other only once on the ATP Tour, in the third round of the 2021 Canadian Open. The former World No. 1 won that match with a scoreline of 6-2, 6-4. He then defeated Reilly Opelka in the final to win the tournament, claiming his fourth ATP Masters 1000 title and his 12th career title.
The winner of the semifinal match between Medvedev and Duckworth at the 2025 Almaty Open will advance to face either sixth seed Alex Michelsen, eighth seed Corentin Moutet, Jan-Lennard Struff, or Shintaro Mochizuki in the final.
Medladev
Most likely left out due to his racket breaking tantrums of a previous matches.
Not acting his age reflected poorly on him.
Stephanos is a well liked/handsome sportsman who will continue to draw crowds