SportsTennis
Six Kings Slam pushed back to December after attacks on Riyadh
The lucrative men's exhibition featuring Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will now be played in Riyadh from 27 to 30 December, its organisers said.
Key points
- The third Six Kings Slam has been moved to 27-30 December 2026.
- Organisers cited organisational and logistical challenges after missile strikes on Riyadh.
- Learner Tien replaces two-time winner Jannik Sinner, who is out with a knee injury.
The Six Kings Slam, the big-money men’s tennis exhibition in Saudi Arabia, has been postponed to the end of the year after a wave of missile attacks on Riyadh.
Riyadh Season, which organises the event, announced on Wednesday that the third edition will now be played in the Saudi capital from 27 to 30 December 2026. It cited “organisational and logistical challenges” and their possible effect on the experience of the event. The match schedule and start times have not yet been confirmed.
The decision follows the strikes on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, which kept the capital’s main airport shut and left more than 300 people injured. Saturday’s Houthi missile attack on the airport was the third there in a week, and the worst on the kingdom in a decade.
The six-man field is led by Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, with Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur and Learner Tien. Tien replaces Jannik Sinner, who won the first two editions, beating Alcaraz in the final each time, and who has withdrawn with a knee injury.