No Jannik Sinner, no Six Kings Slam: What Happened?

The Six Kings Slam, the high-stakes exhibition tournament scheduled for October 21–24 on the hard courts of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has been postponed due to the delicate geopolitical situation in the Middle East. The event has been rescheduled for December 27–30, in the hope that the international situation will improve and allow the tournament to take place during the Christmas holidays. In recent weeks, news had already emerged that Jannik Sinner, winner of the last two editions, would not be participating. The Italian, sidelined by a knee injury that forced him to end his season early, will not take part in the tournament.

The draw has already been finalized. The winner of the match between Germany’s Alexander Zverev and the U.S.’s Taylor Fritz will face Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals. On the other side of the draw, the winner of the match between Australia’s Alex de Minaur and the U.S.’s Learner Tien will compete for a spot in the final against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic. The postponement is also reportedly linked to logistical difficulties caused by the situation in the region, with Riyadh International Airport reportedly still closed following a missile attack. This situation has made it necessary to adjust the tournament schedule.

A particularly generous prize purse is up for grabs: $6 million for the winner, while each participant receives a $1.5 million appearance fee. The tournament will be broadcast live on Netflix. If the new dates are confirmed and the Six Kings Slam goes ahead in late December, the event could also serve as an opportunity to assess players’ form ahead of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the upcoming season.