Several media outlets have noticed the astronomical amounts in the tennis tournament. All participants are guaranteed at least 15 million kronor, reports NTB.
Big stars like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, Holger Rune, and Carlos Alcaraz will participate in an already packed competition schedule.
A schedule that Alcaraz recently criticized.
There are many good players who will miss tournaments due to injury. Are they trying to kill us? said the world number two from Spain during the Laver Cup.
The tournament will not award any points in the ATP ranking.
Djokovic and Nadal will play their first matches on Thursday, after receiving direct entries to the semifinals. The others will play quarterfinals on Wednesday.
The reason for the great attention is partly because Saudi Arabia has pumped money into the sports world in recent years. Several human rights organizations have directed sharp criticism against the Saudi state, calling it sports washing. In other words, the country is using sports to divert attention from the state's bad reputation.
