Days after the conclusion of the Six Kings Slam featuring Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, prominent tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg has come out with a startling revelation about tennis in Saudi Arabia. In recent years, the Arab nation in the Middle East has taken significant steps to invest in both men’s and women’s tennis. However, there has been plenty of controversy surrounding those steps.

Several critics of tennis and Saudi Arabia’s growing relationship are of the opinion that governing bodies in the sport should be mindful about their association with the Middle Eastern nation. Their argument tends to highlight Saudi Arabia’s questionable human rights and women’s rights records.

For instance, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova urged the WTA to refrain from signing a deal that would see the WTA Finals being held in the country. Ultimately though, Evert and Navratilova’s pleas were ignored, and the prestigious year-end women’s tennis event is now set to be held in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh from this year to 2026.

Recently, the city played host to the Six Kings Slam, an exhibition event featuring Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune. Even though it was an exhibition tournament, it offered the biggest winner’s paycheck in sports history at $6 million, which was ultimately claimed by the reigning World No. 1 Sinner.

On Thursday, October 24, journalist Ben Rothenberg published a report titled ‘How Saudi Organizers Filled an Empty Tennis Arena: By Paying People to Attend’. According to Rothenberg’s report, organizers of the 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah roped in local laborers to fill seats. The information was reportedly passed on to the journalist by a local contact of his.

“On the last day of the 2023 NextGen ATP Finals, Fahd (Rothenberg’s contact) was one of around 700 local laborers who joined a WhatsApp group that offered a work proposition: 100 Saudi riyals (about US $27) for four hours of attendance at a tennis match later that day,” Rothenberg reported.

Rothenberg later shared the report on X (formerly Twitter), leaving several tennis fans appalled at the revelations surfaced by the journalist.

“No surprises there. They don’t care about attendance. The show is not for the people there but a giant commercial of the country for the TV audience. They’re trying to wash their reputation through sporting events,” a fan wrote.

“Really so disappointed in every single player, all of whom I so admired, who participated in this event run by a ruthless, murderous regime. Not a single one of them are so poor that they needed this actual BLOOD $$$. No excuse whatsoever,” commented another, referring to the players who featured in the Six Kings Slam.

“The @atptour and @WTA tennis tours world should not be taking Saudi money. The country has the worst Human Rights record. The locals aren’t even willing to attend matches!” another chimed in.

Recently, Serena Williams’ former coach Rennae Stubbs also expressed her blatant apathy about the Six Kings Slam.

“Weird” – Despite Rafael Nadal-Novak Djokovic clash, Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs not impressed by Six Kings Slam

Speaking in a recent episode of The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs stated that the Six Kings Slam didn’t do much to impress her. The Australian was brutally honest in her admission and maintained her stance despite acknowledging the high-profile clash between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the event.

Nadal and Djokovic faced off in the third-place match after both lost their respective semifinals. Though not an official match, it marked the last singles encounter between the two legends before Nadal’s retirement.

“I do want to say that Six Kings thing, I mean, to watch Rafa (Nadal) finish that match, it was great to see him play another match against Nole (Djokovic) and all that sort of stuff, but it just felt weird,” Stubbs said.

“I just felt like that Six Kings thing, like who cares? I mean Sinner won $6 million. He beat Alcaraz in the final. He’s the better player on a faster court. I mean, okay, I could get into the reasons why, but do I care? No. I don’t. I really don’t care,” Stubbs added.

Former ATP World No. 1 and 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick had also voiced his criticism towards the Six Kings Slam. According to Roddick, the event lacked charm in comparison to the Laver Cup, which has become an annual affair.

Meanwhile, Nadal himself has defended Saudi Arabia’s growing investments in not just tennis, but other sports as well. According to the Spaniard, hosting more sporting events featuring international superstars will foster a greater appreciation for sports and foreign cultures among the Saudi population.