By Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic at a previous edition (Credits: BBC Sport)
The star-studded Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition in Saudi Arabia has been postponed following a series of deadly attacks on host city Riyadh. The event was due to bring Grand Slam champions Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev to the Saudi capital for a three-day spectacle starting on 21 October.
Australia’s Alex de Minaur and Americans Taylor Fritz and Learner Tien were also earmarked to play, but organisers have now pushed the third edition of the lucrative exhibition to 27–30 December.
Missile strike forces the call
The tournament had been in serious doubt since Yemen’s Houthi movement launched attacks on Saudi Arabia over the weekend, including a missile strike on Riyadh’s airport on Saturday that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. The Saudi energy minister vowed a “serious” response after the kingdom’s oil and gas facilities were also targeted by the Iran-backed Houthis.
In a statement to BBC Sport, Six Kings Slam organisers said the decision “reflects Riyadh Season’s commitment to delivering sporting events to the highest standards”, following an assessment of the organisational and logistical challenges and their potential impact on the audience experience.
The ANB Arena, which hosts the event, is located in the north of Riyadh, about 31km from King Khalid International Airport — uncomfortably close to the site of the weekend’s strike. Last year’s edition was won by Jannik Sinner, who beat Alcaraz in the final to take home a reported £4.5 million.
Sport across the region reels
Tennis is far from the only sport affected. Three Saudi Pro League fixtures — including one featuring Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr — were postponed on Tuesday. The league cited “logistical considerations” as the Al-Riyadh vs Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad vs Al-Shabab games were pushed back to December, while Al-Nassr’s trip to Al-Ahli in Jeddah was moved to March.
On Monday, former Manchester United star Ronaldo scored for Al-Nassr in an AFC Champions League match that was delayed by an hour because of a missile alert.
Other future sporting events in the region could also be in jeopardy, including Formula 1 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. In golf, the Asian Tour said it is “closely monitoring the situation in Saudi Arabia”, with its season-closing PIF Saudi International scheduled at the Riyadh Golf Club from 18–21 November.
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
