American tennis stars Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys recently shared their thoughts on the sensational prize money at the Six Kings Slam tournament during their podcast. The event, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has garnered widespread attention not only for its competitive field that included Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic, but also for its unprecedented financial rewards in the world of tennis.
Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys’ Reaction to Six Kings Slam Prize Money
The 2025 Six Kings Slam took place from October 15 to 18, as part of the Riyadh Season, featuring six of the world’s top players. These included Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Initially, Jack Draper was set to participate but had to withdraw due to injury, with Stefanos Tsitsipas stepping in as his replacement.
The event followed a single-elimination format on indoor hard courts. In the quarterfinals, Fritz defeated Zverev 6-3, 6-4, while Sinner beat Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3. The semifinals saw Alcaraz triumph over Fritz 6-4, 6-2, and Sinner overcome Djokovic with the same scoreline. The final was a repeat of the 2024 showdown between Sinner and Alcaraz, with Sinner successfully defending his title by winning 6-2, 6-4. In the third-place match, Fritz claimed his first career win against Djokovic after the Serbian retired, trailing 7-6 in the opening set.
During their discussion on the Players Box Podcast, Pegula and Keys expressed genuine surprise at the tournament’s staggering financial structure. “But yeah, the prize money is insane,” Pegula remarked, emphasizing just how extraordinary the sums involved are.
She added that, “the winner takes home a massive $6 million,” with Keys mentioning that each player receives a guaranteed appearance fee of $ 1.5 million just for showing up. “I don’t think I’d say no,” co-host Jennifer Brady added, underscoring how tempting these offers are.
When Draper withdrew, both players noted that “everybody was fighting for that last spot.” The players described the scene as “clawing” and being on their “hands and knees” to get the chance to compete, which speaks volumes about the tournament’s allure despite its exhibition status.
The breakdown of prizes is impressive, with all six participants guaranteed a minimum of $ 1.5 million. The winner, however, received an additional $ 4.5 million, bringing the total to $ 6 million.
What makes the Six Kings Slam particularly remarkable is that it offers more prize money than even the most prestigious Grand Slam tournaments. The $6 million prize for the winner surpasses the payouts at events like the US Open, Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon.
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