Jannik Sinner is gearing up for the Paris Masters, fresh from his success in Riyadh.

Although only an exhibition tournament, the Six Kings Slam was a historic event, bringing six of the world’s best tennis stars to Saudi Arabia.

And, crucially, it promised the largest paycheque in the sport’s history to the winner.

That would prove incentive enough to tempt most players, yet Jannik Sinner, the victor, has claimed that it barely factored into his thinking.

Speaking to Eurosport, the Italian was quizzed about his success in Riyahd, and naturally, the record-breaking prize fund had to come up.

However, he assured the interviewer that such a reason did not influence his decision to play in the Six Kings Slam: ‘No. I don’t play for money. It’s very simple. Of course, it’s a nice prize and everything but it’s… for me, I went there because there was possibly the six best players in the world and you can measure yourself against them.

‘It was also a nice event and for me, it was the first time that I went to Riyadh. It was something very nice.

‘Of course, when you come back as a winner for me, it was more that, okay, I played the matches in the right way and this can hopefully improve me as a player for the future.

‘I think that’s it. Of course, the money is important but not that much.

He continued: ‘I live a good life also without this money.’

Well, Stan Wawrinka has had his say, simply reacting with a single laughing emoji. His brief reply speaks volumes.

Realistically, everybody knows why the six participants opted to throw a random exhibition event into the middle of their schedule.

And nobody begrudges them for it.

After all, with $6m at stake, why not travel to Riyadh mid-way through the year? It was worth a go.

But, for Sinner to claim that he did not visit for the money simply cannot be true, and almost insults those who watched from home.

Everyone was happy to see the match-ups that we got, with the Italian facing off against Carlos Alcaraz once again, whilst Novak Djokovic played Rafael Nadal for the final time.

It was perfect, and a great spectacle for all involved.

But there is one reason, and one reason only why they all wanted to play in this event, and that’s the financial incentive. Wawrinka knows it, and so do the fans.