Follow usThe General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia has revealed plans to host a prestigious tennis exhibition, the ‘Six Kings Slam,’ in October, featuring top players such as Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune. This event is set to be a highlight of the Saudi cultural and entertainment festival, Riyadh Season.
Jannik Sinner, fresh off his Australian Open victory, joins other Grand Slam winners in this elite lineup, with Holger Rune being the sole player without a Grand Slam title among the six participants. Nadal, who recently became an ambassador for the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation, expressed his excitement about participating in the event, stating, “After some other tennis players have done so, I am very excited to play for the first time in Riyadh.”
While exhibition events in the Gulf are not unprecedented, they typically occur during breaks in the ATP season or after its conclusion. Notably, the ATP has a full schedule in October, featuring mandatory Masters 1000 tournaments in Shanghai and Paris.
In addition to the ‘Six Kings Slam,’ Saudi Arabia is set to host the Next Gen Finals for men’s under-21 players in Jeddah from 2023 to 2027, as announced by the ATP in August of the previous year. The country, known for its significant investments in sports like soccer, Formula One, and golf, has faced criticism for using sports to deflect attention from concerns related to human rights and equality issues.
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