Jannik Sinner set to return at postponed Six Kings Slam
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Jannik Sinner had announced this month that he would not compete again in 2026 as he continued his recovery from a knee injury.
PHOTO: REUTERS
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner will make his comeback at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia following the tournament’s postponement to December due to security concerns, organisers said on Oct 26.
Italian Sinner, winner of the previous two Six Kings, announced earlier in October that he would not compete again in 2026 as he continued his recovery from a knee injury that has sidelined the 25-year-old since winning Wimbledon in July.
That decision ruled him out of the European indoor hard-court swing along with the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, where Sinner also triumphed in the last two years.
The lucrative Six Kings Slam exhibition event, a non-ATP tournament, was due to take place in Riyadh from Oct 21-24, but is now scheduled for Dec 27-30.
Organisers announced the date change after an attack by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Riyadh’s international airport killed 13 people.
January’s Dakar Rally was moved out of Saudi Arabia due to security concerns, and golf’s Asian Tour has postponed the Saudi International indefinitely.
Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in both Six Kings finals, earning himself US$6 million (S$7.7 million) at each event.
Along with Sinner and Alcaraz, the event will also feature Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur. Zverev is guaranteed to finish 2026 as the ATP’s year-end world No. 1. REUTERS