Top 3 candidates to replace Jack Draper at 2025 Six Kings Slam

Jack Draper prematurely ended his 2025 season, which means it's very unlikely he will appear at the 2025 Six Kings Slam.

The Six Kings Slam is an exhibition event held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was first held in 2024, with players sharing $13,500,000 in prize money. Five players received $1,500,000 for participation, while the winner got $6,000,000 (the highest prize money ever received by a tennis player).

The exhibition will return in 2025. It will be played from October 15th until 18th, which is just after the Shanghai Masters. Turki Alalshikh, who is the Saudi Arabian sports promoter behind the event, announced it in July.

He shared the screenshot of the ATP Rankings, with Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Jack Draper, Taylor Fritz, and Novak Djokovic occupying the first six positions. They are the six players who were announced as this year's "six kings."

But Turki Alalshikh's plans might need to be adjusted a bit. Jack Draper ended his season early after struggling with an injury. He subsequently withdrew from all the tournaments, but since the Six Kings Slam isn't an official ATP event, we currently don't know whether the organizers expect him to compete or not.

Draper could appear on the court for one match, for which he would receive $1,500,000, but the question is whether it's worth it for him to possibly worsen his injury or damage his image with a subpar performance. Draper has earned $8,347,771 so far in his tennis career, so the participation fee at the Six Kings Slam would represent more than a sixth of his career earnings.

Should the British player withdraw from the tournament, three players would be top candidates to replace him at the event.

Joao Fonseca might not have the accolades to support his participation at the event, but he certainly has the fanbase for it. The Brazilian teenager is a superstar already at 19, and with the initial field already disrupted, he would undoubtedly be a great pick for the organizers.

At the same time, it's worth noting that Fonseca is currently listed on the entry list for the European Open in Brussels, a tournament that takes place during the Six Kings Slam. However, for a $1,500,000 cheque, which roughly represents his career earnings, the Brazilian would likely be up to changing his plans.

Holger Rune's participation at the event is a bit more realistic, mostly due to the fact that he played at the event last year as well. Rune certainly attracted the organizers as he was the only non-Grand Slam champion chosen for the event.

He is currently ranked 11th in the world and still remains one of the most promising talents on the ATP Tour. However, there is one even bigger favorite, but his injury struggles could boost Rune's chances of competing at the event.

Ben Shelton is easily the biggest favorite to replace Draper at the 2025 Six Kings Slam. If the organizers really want the six best players in the world, then the current ATP Rankings show Alcaraz, Sinner, Zverev, Djokovic, Fritz, and Shelton in the first six positions, as the American replaced Draper in the Top 6.

That would mean the organizers would stick with the initial idea of having the Top 6 players and also have a player who is already an ATP Masters 1000 champion. On top of that, a lefty with a big serve for a lefty with a big serve looks like a fair trade.

For now, it's not clear whether Draper will play at the event or not, but considering he ended his season early despite having a chance to compete at the ATP Finals for the first time in his career, it would be a surprise if he chose to play at the exhibition in Saudi Arabia.