Andy Murray has taken to social media to poke fun at his friend Liam Broady regarding his participation in the high-profile Six Kings Slam event located in Saudi Arabia. The tennis icon has made his opinions clear about the exhibition tournament, which is remarkably offering the most substantial prize money the sport has ever seen.
Star players including world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal are lacing up for this tournament, while the WTA Finals are also scheduled to take place in just three weeks. Although the eye-watering £1.12 million appearance fee surely serves as a temptation for these aces to jet off to the Arabian Gulf, the reality is that no ATP ranking points are on the line as the 2024 season approaches its conclusion.
The victor stands to walk away with an astonishing £4.6 million – a sum that is double what Alcaraz pocketed at Wimbledon this year. Murray couldn’t resist throwing a light-hearted jab at Broady, who is set to join Sky Sports Tennis as a pundit for their coverage of the event.
Commentator Adam Fielder took to Twitter to break the news, stating: “Let’s hope the tennis is as good as the promotional video. Live on @SkySportsTennis with @gigi_salmon @TheRealPatCash and @Liambroady from 17:15 today, tomorrow, and Saturday.”
Murray replied to Fielder’s post: “Ahhhh now it makes sense @Liambroady,” tagging in several dollar emojis to amusingly underscore his friend’s choice to partake in the event primarily for financial gain, as reported by the Express.
Broady was left mesmerized by the tournament’s promotional video, which depicted tennis’s elite stars as characters from Indiana Jones, effusing: “Speechless as to how damn cool this promo is. Probably the best I’ve ever seen in tennis. Would watch this movie. 10/10.” But Murray couldn’t hold back with his retort, stating: “Except it’s not a movie and you won’t watch it because it’s an exhibition tennis event that nobody cares about.”
While known for his sharp wit, Murray’s comments also shed light on profound concerns surrounding Saudi Arabia’s human rights situation. He has consistently turned down invitations to play in the kingdom, unwavering in his ethical stance amidst lucrative opportunities.
In the latest encounters at the Six Kings Slam, Jannik Sinner set aside his issues with WADA to cruise past Daniil Medvedev with a resounding 6-0, 6-3 win, while Carlos Alcaraz triumphed over Holger Rune 6-4, 6-2.
Rafael Nadal, a promoter for the Saudi Tennis Federation, will start from the semi-finals facing compatriot Alcaraz. Meanwhile, Djokovic is gearing up for a rematch against Sinner after suffering a defeat in the Shanghai Masters final.
