February 06, (THEWILL) – An exciting new tennis event is coming to Saudi Arabia this year as the Saudi General Entertainment Authority has announced the “Six Kings Slam”, an elite exhibition featuring tennis greats Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. The event is billed to take place in October as part of the Riyadh Season entertainment festival.
Joining multiple Grand Slam champions Djokovic and Nadal will be an all-star lineup including 2023 Australian Open winner Jannik Sinner, world number 2 Carlos Alcaraz, 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, and rising star Holger Rune. Rune is the only competitor yet to lift a Grand Slam trophy among them.
The exhibition is likely to draw major interest from tennis fans worldwide. Nadal expressed enthusiasm about playing in Saudi Arabia for the first time, as part of his new ambassador role with the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation.
The timing in October is unconventional, conflicting with big ATP tournaments like the Shanghai Masters and Paris Masters. Yet, exhibition events in the Gulf are often strategically placed around the pro tennis calendar. This comes as Saudi Arabia invests heavily in hosting major sports. In 2023, a deal was struck for Jeddah to host the Next Gen ATP Finals youth event from 2023-2027.
However, some activists have accused the country of “sportswashing” human rights issues. Debate continues around Saudi Arabia also bidding to host the WTA Finals, with ex-champions Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova opposing the move. The Saudi ambassador has strongly denied this criticism.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
