Six Kings Slam: Big-money tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia postponed until December
Decision to postpone Six King Slam follows continued unrest in Middle East and recent bombing of international airport in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh; tournament moved from October to December; you can watch the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters live on Sky Sports Tennis
Wednesday 14 October 2026 16:23, UK
Tennis' big-money Six Kings Slam tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has been postponed from October to December due to unrest in the Middle East.
The tournament, which is in its third edition and awards £1.2m per competing player and an extra £3.5m for the winner, was originally scheduled for October 21-24, but has now been moved to December 27-30.
The six players included for 2026 are Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur and Learner Tien.
The decision to postpone follows continued unrest in the Middle East and the recent bombing of the international airport in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh.
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"The decision reflects Riyadh Season's commitment to delivering sporting events to the highest standards, following an assessment of the organisational and logistical challenges associated with hosting the tournament and their potential impact on the quality of the audience experience," organisers said in a statement.
Italy's Jannik Sinner, currently out injured due to a knee complaint, clinched victory at the Six Kings Slam in 2024 and 2025, beating Alcaraz in the final on both occasions.
Attacks have threatened to disrupt sport in Saudi Arabia, with golf's Asian Tour also saying it is monitoring the security situation ahead of the Saudi International in Riyadh next month.
Saudi Arabia is also set to stage the Asian Cup in soccer for the first time in 2027, a key test ahead of the kingdom's hosting of the 2034 World Cup.
It is also hosting the FIFAe World Cup, an esports tournament series held by world soccer's governing body FIFA, in Jeddah from October 16-25.
However, the Japan Football Association said it would not participate following a comprehensive assessment of the current situation in the host country and the available information regarding safety and security.
Football Australia also said its security team was monitoring the situation.
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