Stan Wawrinka mocks Jannik Sinner’s take on massive Six Kings Slam payout

Stan Wawrinka responded to Jannik Sinner’s comments about the historic payout he received for winning the Six Kings Slam. The Italian world No. 1 needed only three three-set victories to claim the trophy and $6 million (about £4.6 million).

The prize offered in Riyadh far exceeds those he won at the Australian Open ($3 million) and the US Open ($3.6 million). However, the 23-year-old spoke to Eurosport about the prize, saying: “I don’t play for money. It’s very simple.”

“Of course it’s a nice prize, but I went there because possibly the six best players in the world were there, and you can measure yourself against them. It was also a nice event,” Jannik Sinner added. “For me, it was the first time going to Riyadh. It was something very nice, and of course, when you come back as a winner, for me it was more about playing the matches the right way, hoping this can help improve me as a player in the future. That’s it.

“Of course money is important, but not that much. I live a good life even without this money, so it’s much more important to me to have my health, to be surrounded by great people, and to have my family. The money is just an extra,” the Italian added.

Shortly after Sinner's statements, three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka responded on X to clips of the interview, reacting with a smiling face emoji as a sarcastic nod to Sinner’s response. The 39-year-old Swiss has earned nearly $600,000 this year and a total of $37 million over his 22-year career.