Djokovic: Six Kings Slam in Riyadh Moved to December 27
Riyadh Season has moved the exhibition event from October 21-24 to the end of the year, and the new dates leave players about 48 hours before Australia.
October 21 was supposed to be the opening day at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, where Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz enter the tournament directly in the semifinals. Nothing will happen there in October: organizer Riyadh Season has moved the Six Kings Slam to December 27-30, 2026.
What exactly was announced, and when?
The third edition of the exhibition tournament was originally scheduled for October 21, 22 and 24. The organizer announced the new dates in a written statement on Tuesday, five days after the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Tennis Majors published parts of the statement, and the organizer explained the decision this way:
“The decision reflects Riyadh Season’s commitment to staging sporting events to the highest standards, following an assessment of the organizational and logistical challenges involved in holding the tournament and their possible impact on the quality of the audience experience.”
The same statement says preparations continue for the new dates and thanks players, partners and tennis fans in the Kingdom and abroad for their continued interest. Ticket holders have been directed to the Ehtemam center. The new match schedule and ticket terms have not been published yet.
Why was it moved? Three sources, three versions
The sources diverge here. The text of the statement carried by Tennis Majors speaks only of organizational and logistical challenges and does not mention security. The same outlet writes that it links the decision to the international situation, but that is not said in the statement.
The attack in question happened on Thursday, October 8. Yemen’s Houthis claimed it, and Saudi authorities said three Saudi citizens were killed, among them a Saudia airline captain. Two aircraft were hit. Riyadh Season has not connected the two events and, apart from the written statement, nobody from the organization has commented.
Serbian media go further. Novosti writes that the organizing committee cited security, organizational and logistical challenges. B92 claims the attacks on the airport caused the change and that the organizers added, along with the new dates, that going ahead would depend on how the security situation develops. Neither claim appears in the text of the statement published by Tennis Majors, so they stay with the outlets that wrote them.
Can Djokovic make it to Australia?
The October slot sat in the week between Shanghai and the European indoor season. The December one falls at the very end of the break: the 2027 season starts on January 1 with the United Cup in Australia, and the Australian Open begins on January 17. A player who finishes in Riyadh on December 30 has about 48 hours to reach Australia, with no acclimatization and not a single day of a preparation block.
Alex de Minaur, one of the six invited players, has an edge here: the Australian is also a regular at the United Cup. The rest face a trip halfway around the world in two days.
Who is invited, and what is at stake?
The field is Djokovic, Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur and Learner Tien. De Minaur and Tien are making their debut at the event. Tien, who is 20, received his invitation on October 6, replacing the injured Jannik Sinner, who won in Riyadh in 2024 and 2025 and beat Alcaraz in the final both times. Without Sinner the tournament had already lost its strongest rivalry, even before the postponement.
Riyadh Season has not said whether all six have confirmed for December, and no player has commented publicly since the decision.
Money is the reason the event gets called the “fifth Grand Slam”: according to Novosti, the total prize fund is $13.5 million, every player is guaranteed $1.5 million, and the winner gets $6 million. The tournament awards no ATP points and is not part of the official calendar, which is why it could be moved on short notice. It is played at the ANB Arena in a knockout format and broadcast by Netflix.
The real answer arrives with the match schedule and a confirmed player list. By December 27 at the latest, when the tournament is due to start, it will be clear who is in Riyadh, and the Australian Open begins on January 17.
