The kingdom is putting on the richest tennis exhibition in history, but its wider ambitions in the sport have contracted.

The Six Kings Slam is an exhibition event for a half-dozen men that awards money but no ATP ranking points and is Saudi Arabia’s latest foray into tennis.

Rafael Nadal starts his pre-retirement farewell tour against Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday at the Six Kings Slam.

Carlos Alcaraz, winner of four majors, crushed the Dane Holger Rune (6-4 and 6-2) in his first game and now will face Nadal in the semi-finals of the tournament with this set to be the last ever game between the two idols of Spanish tennis, with the Davis Cup in Malaga next month set to mark Nadal’s definitive farewell from the sport.

Sinner recently won the Shanghai Masters title, and on his way to the title at the ATP Masters 1000 event, he beat Medvedev. It was their 14th match, and after the Russian won the first six matches, the Italian managed to level the H2H to 7-7.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Rafael Nadal 2024 Six Kings Slam match preview: TV & streaming details, ticket information, free tips &

World no. 1 Jannik Sinner made a winning start at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh. Jannik faced world no. 5 Daniil Medvedev and scored a 6-0, 6-3 victory in 70 minutes, booking a place in the semi-final and arranging the duel against Novak Djokovic.

The Six Kings Slam is the most lucrative exhibition tennis tournament ever, taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of the country’s annual sporting season.