Zverev lost quickly at the Six Kings Tournament but still earned $1.5 million; netizens say: He didn’t even want to pretend anymore for the money.

The first day of the Six Kings Tournament was held on Riyadh’s hard courts, where Zverev faced Fritz. In the end, American Fritz beat Zverev in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.

Before coming to Riyadh, both players were stopped in the third round of the Shanghai Masters. Zverev was knocked out by Lindgrenknech, and Fritz was defeated in straight sets by Pericard.

This year’s Six Kings Tournament sparked renewed discussion due to its lavish prize money structure. Despite losing his opening match, Zverev still received a hefty check worth $1.5 million.

Fans were quickly stunned by his lackluster performance combined with the huge payout. One netizen joked, “Zverev’s easiest $1.5 million ever.” They also criticized the exhibition for its lack of entertainment value: “I can’t imagine the local audience nearly falling asleep watching Fritz vs. Zverev on Netflix. Honestly, tennis is way more exciting than this.”

Others complained about the strange camera angles during the event: “Am I the only one who finds the Six Kings Tournament boring and awkward, with all these weird camera shots?” On the other hand, some fans praised Fritz for taking the match seriously: “I thought exhibition players would relax and not try too hard. But Fritz really seemed to give his all, even though the result doesn’t count for rankings.”

Another user was unsurprised by Zverev’s showing in Riyadh: “Zverev is used to this kind of thing by now; this time he just got paid more to lose. He shouldn’t even be ranked in the top ten, let alone the top five.”

Fritz secured his seventh consecutive win over Zverev, although this victory won’t be recorded in the official ATP stats. Next, the American will face Alcaraz for a spot in the final. Previously, he lost to the Spaniard in two sets at the Tokyo 500 tournament.

The winner’s prize at this year’s Six Kings Tournament is $4.5 million. Fritz recently defended his choice to participate in the exhibition, saying it remains a valuable event: “It’s still tennis—top players, big stages, and passionate fans. That’s what matters most. The event will be streamed on Netflix, which can attract both tennis enthusiasts and a wider audience. This is a big deal for the sport.”

He also urged ATP organizers to consider introducing shorter formats: “I really hope they tell me if there’s any tournament where players can earn $6 million by playing only three matches—or even just two for the top two seeds.”

This American player lost to Alcaraz in the Japan Open final but had previously beaten him in this year’s Laver Cup. In the upcoming Six Kings semifinal, he is expected to give his all to challenge the Spaniard.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)