Six Kings Slam tennis event postponed to December after Saudi attacks

The Six Kings Slam tennis tournament has been rescheduled from October 21-24 to December 27-30, organisers announced on Wednesday. In a statement, they said the move reflected Riyadh Season's commitment to delivering sporting events to the highest standards, following an assessment of organisational and logistical challenges and their potential impact on the quality of the audience experience.

According to the report, the recent attacks on the kingdom were a major security concern behind the postponement. A strike on Riyadh's international airport on Saturday killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300, with Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement claiming responsibility for what the report described as the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.

Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz had been set to compete in the October window, while defending champion Jannik Sinner withdrew because of injury. The tournament is an exhibition event that attracts the world's top players thanks to record prize money, with Alcaraz acknowledging in 2024 that the financial aspect played a role after he earned $1.5 million over four days.

The security situation is rippling through other sports in the kingdom as well. Golf's Asian Tour said it is monitoring conditions before the Saudi International in Riyadh next month, and Saudi Arabia is due to stage soccer's Asian Cup for the first time in 2027, a key test ahead of hosting the 2034 World Cup.

Saudi Arabia is also hosting the FIFAe World Cup, an esports tournament series run by world soccer's governing body FIFA, in Jeddah from October 16-25. The Japan Football Association said it would not take part after a comprehensive assessment of the situation in the host country and available safety and security information, while Football Australia said its security team was monitoring developments.

Reuters said it had contacted the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA for comment. No new details were given on whether the rescheduled tennis event's player field would remain the same.