The Six Kings Slam, a lavish exhibition tournament in Riyadh, was designed to be a spectacle. Boasting a $13.5 million prize pool and a lineup of the world’s top tennis stars like Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, the event promised elite competition for a global audience on Netflix.

However, the hype surrounding this showcase of tennis’s richest exhibition quickly collided with a wave of frustration from viewers, as the highly anticipated broadcast was marred by an unusual and widely criticized camera angle. During the quarterfinal match between Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz, the issue became glaringly apparent.

Tennis journalist José Morgado captured the sentiment of countless viewers watching the Six Kings Slam on X, stating, “This main angle is a bit weird…” The criticism highlighted a massive difference between the event’s production budget and a fundamental failure in its broadcast presentation, with many observers pointing out how such a poor angle was chosen when millions of dollars were spent on other promotional elements.

Indeed, it’s clear from the social media post that fans noticed the camera issue right from the beginning of the Six Kings Slam. So, in the first set when the score was 1-0 for Fritz, the complaints started rolling in, and they just kept piling up.

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Tennis fans left in frustration with the Six Kings Slam’s broadcast

Pointing out the bad camera angle coverage from last year, one fan scrutinized the authorities for not rectifying the mistakes that they made in the first edition. “You think they would learn from the bad angles last year. Also not sure if it is Netflix but ball is skipping and not smooth on screen,” a fan mentioned. Remember what happened last year in Riyadh? They got a lot of criticism for using that high “spider cam” angle. It really made the players look far away, and viewers at home had a tough time keeping up with the action.

The comment “Possibly to hide all the empty seats?” connects to documented low attendance at other Saudi tennis events. Using tight camera shots to make a sparse live audience look less noticeable is a common trick in television broadcasting. Another fan shared, “Everything about this is disgusting oh you could not pay me to tune into this tournament.”

The sentiments “Agree! Never a great angle!” and “Let’s be honest, it is horrible,” reflect a broader viewer frustration with the primary camera angle choice.

The broadcast issues with the Six Kings Slam show that even a big-budget event can’t thrive if it doesn’t prioritize the viewer experience. In the end, the tournament might be remembered less for its champions and more for the camera angles that left its global audience feeling disconnected.