Jannik Sinner has committed to playing in the extravagant Six Kings Slam later this year after the event was postponed due to security concerns.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), Turki Alalshikh, said the current world No. 1 will play in the event, which has been delayed until December. Sinner won the past two editions of the exhibition, which rewards the champion with $6M in prize money, including $1.5M as the participation fee.
“Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki Alalshikh has confirmed that the Six Kings Slam will take place on December 27, 28 and 30 at The Venue in Riyadh, as part of the seventh edition of Riyadh Season, bringing together six of the world’s leading tennis players,” a statement from Saudi Arabia’s state press agency (SPA) read.
“The new dates allow Italy’s Jannik Sinner to return and defend his title after an injury forced him to withdraw from the event originally scheduled for October. “
Sinner hasn’t played since winning the Wimbledon title in July because a knee injury forced him to end his season early. He won six titles in 2026, with five of those being at Masters 1000 events and another at Wimbledon.
“The last couple of years, especially the ending in Turin (at the ATP Finals), gave me so many beautiful feelings and emotions. This year is going to be way different. But at the moment I also need to think about my long-term career,” Sinner said in a video published on October 6th.
“I will do everything possible to get back to 100%.”
As it currently stands, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur are also set to play in the Six Kings Slam. The event was originally scheduled for this week. The decision to postpone it followed a series of missile attacks on the country from the Houthis in Yemen amid an ongoing confrontation between the two.
Sinner is yet to publicly comment on his scheduled return to action in Saudi Arabia.
