Saudi Arabia use clever tricks to get around ATP rules for 6 Kings Slam exhibition tournament

The 6 Kings Slam, Saudi Arabia's latest venture into the world of tennis, appears likely to employ a pattern that will ensure Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and the other top stars don't get punished by the ATP for violating it's rules.

The exhibition event was slated to run in February but it was pushed to October following discussions with player agents during the Australian Open. The ATP Tour instituted some new rules a few weeks ago that would strip elite players of their “Platinum Status” if they participate in unofficial events lasting “three or more consecutive days”. However, the Saudi Arabian tennis body appears to have found a way to circumvent them.

Those organizers; who go by the name of the General Entertainment Authority, plan on hosting the event in a manner that prevents it from running for more than two days at a time. Furthermore, the start date of October 14 allows them to work around another ATP regulation which bans top-30 players from appearing in exhibitions in the same week as Masters 1000 or ATP 500 events. However, the week of October 14 only hosts two ATP 250s, the smallest category, which are afforded no such protection. Therefore, the likes of Djokovic, Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz and others can participate without incurring any penalties.