For the last two years, the likes of Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner have headed to Riyadh in October. The newly formed Six Kings Slam has attracted the top stars in the tennis world in recent years, with a potential $6 million prize pool as a major motivator for players. However, this time around, should the players wish to collect their hefty paychecks, they will need to wait slightly longer given the current situation of the tournament.

“Riyadh Season has announced the postponement of the third edition of the international “Six Kings Slam” tennis tournament, originally scheduled for October 21, 22, and 24, to December 27–30, 2026,” was the official statement by the tournament on X. “The decision reflects Riyadh Season’s commitment to delivering sporting events to the highest standards, following an assessment of the organizational and logistical challenges associated with hosting the tournament and their potential impact on the quality of the audience experience.”

The decision is not a surprise to anyone, given the escalation of military hostilities in the region. The most notable security concern has been the targeting of King Khalid International Airport, which would no doubt have been the landing zone for the six tennis players and their entourages.

This is not the first time that geopolitical tensions have impacted tennis events this year. Back in February, former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev could not leave Dubai after winning the title there because the airspace was closed. The Russian later recounted the logistical nightmare he and his family went through, which included a seven-hour road trip to Oman, from which he could reach Indian Wells via connecting flights. To his credit, the former US Open champion put all his troubles behind him and played an excellent tournament, reaching the final in the Californian desert.

As for tennis events in Riyadh, this is Saudi Arabia’s first foray into the ATP world. Even though this is an exhibition event, the glamor and glitz of it all have attracted a large audience, and the broadcasting rights shifted from DAZN in the first season to Netflix in the second, ensuring many more people could access the tournament. Not to mention, Riyadh has already made its entry into Tour-level tennis, hosting the WTA Finals for the last two years before the event was moved to Indian Wells this year.

This year’s six-man field includes Djokovic and Alcaraz, who have played every edition of the tournament. While the likes of Taylor Fritz and Alexander Zverev will be in their second season, Alex de Minaur and Learner Tien will be making their tournament debuts this year, with Tien replacing Jannik Sinner, who won the event in the past two years.

Jannik Sinner Is All Set to Miss the Six Kings Slam This Year

Having won the event in the last two years, Sinner is set to skip the Six Kings Slam this year, with the Italian shutting his season down amid the Asian swing in October. The Italian last played a Tour-level match on July 12 in the Wimbledon final and has been out of action with a knee injury since. The five-time Major champion has prioritized his long-term health, even if it meant giving up the No. 1 ranking to Zverev.

Sinner was the dominant force at the Six Kings Slam over the last two seasons, winning the title and beating the likes of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz in both years. While the exhibition results are not reflected in the official head-to-heads, the matches were highly competitive, with the Sinner-Djokovic and Sinner-Alcaraz matches in 2024 being tough three-set contests that the Italian won.

The wins saw Sinner net $6 million for his efforts, the highest he has been paid for winning an event, even surpassing the $5 million prize money he won for winning the ATP Finals undefeated last year. Not only the winners, but all six players attending the event will have a guaranteed $1.5 million for participating, and for someone like Tien or De Minaur, that sum is the highest either of them has earned from a single tournament in their careers.