The soulless spectacle of the Six Kings Slam

All the money in the world can’t buy you an enjoyable tennis exho. Plus, the ripple effects of Holger Rune's injury.

The Replay

Searching for something to care about at SKS

Here’s the thing about exhibitions: If you want us viewers to feel invested in an event that has no bearing on players’ official head-to-head then the players have to seem invested in it themselves. Why bother watching otherwise, when there are actual high-stakes tennis matches taking place elsewhere at the same time? This year’s Six Kings Slam did not check that pretty simple box, with only Jannik Sinner and Taylor Fritz seeming to treat the matches as they would any other. (Okay, to his credit, Stefanos Tsitsipas seemed to care, too, but he was dead on arrival in his current form against Sinner, removing any possible intrigue from the match.) Sinner and Fritz showed up as the died-in-the-wool competitors that they are with shit they wanted to prove, regardless of it being an exhibition. Conversely, Alexander Zverev showed up half-asleep and Carlos Alcaraz seemed lost, with “I’m just happy to be here” energy that didn’t translate …