Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz-led Six Kings Slam exhibition slammed by ATP board member: "Does not make sense"

ATP board member Herwig Straka criticized the mid-season timing of the Six Kings Slam exhibition event featuring Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune. Straka believes the exhibition does not make sense and is "not ideal."

Straka, a member of the ATP Board of Directors in the Tournament Representative department, also serves as the director of the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna, set to begin next week.

He has expressed frustration with the scheduling of the Six Kings Slams from October 16-19, which will prevent defending champion Sinner from participating in Vienna. In an interview with Frank Ramella of L'Equipe, Straka said:

"Generally speaking, I'm not happy with the exhibitions. This week's one obviously doesn't satisfy us, because it potentially prevents us from having certain players for our field, including our defending champion, Jannik Sinner."

Straka expressed concerns about the growing number of exhibitions, highlighting the challenges they create for tournament organizers and players.

"It's not ideal. This week's one doesn't make much sense."

He pointed out the contradiction between players' complaints about a packed schedule and their participation in exhibition events, stating:

"And the players complain about playing too much, while they go to exhibitions during the season..."

When asked if it was a "form of hypocrisy" from players, Straka labeled it a "complicated situation." He explained that the players are not direct employees of the ATP and are "independent entrepreneurs," so they are free to do what they want.

"It's more a matter of convincing them that this system helps them more than the fact of playing exhibitions. But legally, we can't do much in terms of restrictions," Straka added.

Straka hopes to reach a future agreement with Saudi Arabia regarding lucrative events like the Six Kings Slam, emphasizing that top players should align with the ATP Tour rather than compete against it.

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Carlos Alcaraz to feature on Day 1 of Six Kings Slam; Rafael Nadal & Novak Djokovic receive byes

Carlos Alcaraz at the 2024 Shanghai Rolex Masters (Image: Getty)

The Six Kings Slam kicks off on Wednesday, October 16, with the quarterfinals. Jannik Sinner faces Daniil Medvedev in the first match, with the winner advancing to play Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.

In the second quarterfinal, Carlos Alcaraz will take on Holger Rune, and the winner will meet Rafael Nadal. The semifinals are scheduled for October 17, with the final and third-place playoff on October 19.