"Doesn't make me sick that Jannik Sinner made more than 25% of my career prize money" - Andy Roddick quips about Italian's $6 million payday in Riyadh

Andy Roddick has shared a hilarious reaction to Jannik Sinner's substantial prize money earnings from the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The World No. 1 competed at the blockbuster event alongside Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune.

The event was highly profitable for the players, with the appearance fees totaling over $13 million. Medvedev, Rune, Djokovic and Nadal each earned a whopping $1.5 in prize money for their participation in the event.

On the other hand, Sinner took home $6 million after claiming a 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3 win over Alcaraz in the final. The Spaniard, meanwhile, received the same payout as the other participants.

For the contest, Jannik Sinner earned $3.5 million for his maiden Grand Slam triumph at the 2024 Australian Open and added another $3.6 million with his recent US Open victory. Given that the Italian's total prize money for the season stands at a remarkable $12,032,935 in total prize money, nearly 50% of his earnings this year came from the Six Kings Slam.

During the latest episode of the 'Served with Andy Roddick' podcast, Roddick and tennis journalist Jon Wertheim took digs at the trend of Saudi Arabia "overpaying" for athletes, as evidenced by the massive contracts for soccer stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr. competing in the Saudi Pro League.

"Is this true? Have the Saudis been overpaying for athletes?" Roddick quipped.

"It's almost like they have discretionary funds to spend on sport that are out of whack with the market," Wertheim said. "Sinner just got double for playing three days, six sets of exhibition tennis as he did for winning 21 sets in the US Open."

The American, who accumulated $20,640,030 in career prize money, also sarcastically remarked that it didn't bother him that Jannik Sinner had earned more than a quarter of his lifetime earnings in just three exhibition matches.

"It definitely doesn't make me sick to my stomach that he (Jannik Sinner) made more than 25% of my career prize money in three days of exhibition tennis," Roddick said.

---

"It’s easier to pay Jannik Sinner $6 million when you're not responsible for 122 other players at an event" - Andy Roddick

Jannik Sinner (Source: Getty)

During the same podcast, Andy Roddick expressed his belief that exhibition events with "outsized budgets" like the Six Kings Slam were likely to become more common in the tennis world.

However, the American pointed out that it was "easier" to pay Jannik Sinner $6 million in prize money when exhibition events didn't have to cover the costs of 128 singles players and all the doubles players, like the Grand Slams.

"For better or worse, we're going to see more of these types of things – these exhibition matches with outsized budgets. It’s easier to pay Jannik Sinner $6 million when you're not responsible for 122 other players at an event, plus doubles, and all the other expenses," Roddick said.

After his success at the Six Kings Slam, Sinner will aim to clinch his fourth ATP Masters 1000 title of the season at the Paris Masters. While Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the event, the World No. 1 will face tough competition from Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune, and others in the French capital.