Andy Murray has once again taken aim at his friend Liam Broady for his association with the Six Kings Slam event in Saudi Arabia, which has been widely criticised.
Andy Murray has taken to social media to tease his friend Liam Broady over his involvement with the lucrative Six Kings Slam event in Saudi Arabia. The retired tennis star has been vocal about his views on the high-stakes exhibition tournament, which boasts the largest prize money ever seen in the sport.
Big names such as world No 1 Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are participating, while the WTA Finals will take place there in three weeks. However, it seems the £1.12million appearance fee is a significant incentive for their participation in the Arabian Gulf, despite no ATP ranking points being up for grabs as the 2024 season nears its end.
The winner stands to gain a maximum of £4.6million – twice the amount Alcaraz won at Wimbledon this year. Murray couldn’t resist a playful dig at his good mate Broady, who is set to be a pundit for Sky Sports Tennis’ coverage.
Commentator Adam Fielder announced the news on Twitter, saying: “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 responded to the post, writing: “Ahhhh now it makes sense @Liambroady”, adding several ‘dollar’ emojis to humorously highlight his friend’s decision to work at the event for the financial benefits, reports the Express.
Broady was left in awe of the tournament promotion video, which featured tennis stars as characters from Indiana Jones, commenting: “Speechless as to how damn cool this promo is. Probably the best I’ve ever seen in tennis. Would watch this movie. 10/10.”
Murray, however, offered a contrasting view, responding: “Except it’s not a movie and you won’t watch it because it’s an exhibition tennis event that nobody cares about.”
While Murray is known for his wit, his stance also reflects serious concerns over Saudi Arabia’s human rights issues. He has consistently refused to play in Saudi tournaments despite lucrative offers, standing firm on his principles.
In recent action at the Six Kings Slam, Jannik Sinner put aside his troubles with WADA to dominate Daniil Medvedev with a 6-0, 6-3 victory, while Carlos Alcaraz overcame Holger Rune 6-4, 6-2.
Nadal, who promotes the Saudi Tennis Federation, will start directly in the semi-finals against fellow Spaniard Alcaraz. Djokovic is set to face Sinner once more, following the Italian’s win at the Shanghai Masters final.
