Organisers in Saudi Arabia have pushed back an exhibition tennis tournament that was set to feature the world’s leading men’s players. The event has been moved by about two months at a time when the kingdom is facing a series of attacks by Yemen’s Houthis.
Turki al-Sheikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), said on Wednesday that the Six Kings Slam had been delayed because of “organisational and logistical challenges”. The decision came shortly after the Saudi Pro League announced it had postponed three of its fixtures.
Six Kings Slam shifted to late December
The third edition of the Six Kings Slam was due to be played later this month. Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev were among the players entered, alongside Taylor Fritz, Learner Tien and Alex de Minaur.
The tournament was originally scheduled for October 21-24 and was to be streamed live by Netflix. It will now be staged from December 27-30. Al-Sheikh shared a statement from the Riyadh Season entertainment programme on X, saying the event “will now take place on December 27” because of logistical reasons.
Riyadh football matches rescheduled
Earlier on Wednesday, three Saudi Pro League matches involving teams based in the capital, Riyadh, were postponed. The league cited “logistical considerations” and the mandatory minimum rest period between matches.
The clash between league leaders Al Hilal and Al Riyadh, along with the match between Al Ittihad and Al Shabab, will now be played on December 19. The fixture between Al Ahli and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr has been moved to March 6, 2027. The league said the other matchweek nine fixtures would go ahead as previously announced.
Boxing bout and wider disruption to Saudi sport
The postponements follow a promise from al-Sheikh, made two days earlier, that the world title boxing fight between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Christian M’billi would take place this month. The bout is scheduled for October 31 in Riyadh, a city that has repeatedly come under attack from the Houthis. On Sunday, al-Sheikh said Alvarez had told him he would still fight in the capital “no matter what happens”, adding that “He [Alvarez] fears nothing.”
On Monday, Al-Nassr’s AFC Champions League match against Neftchi Fergana in Riyadh was delayed by an hour after the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted a Houthi missile fired towards the city. Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have also launched a counteroffensive to retake coastal territory from the Houthis, while missile strikes have hit airports and energy facilities across the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia’s sporting calendar has been hit hard since the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran in late February. The Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, scheduled for April in Jeddah, has been cancelled. The WTA Finals, which were due to be held in Riyadh next month, will instead take place at Indian Wells in the United States.
