The Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition event in Saudi Arabia – featuring Grand Slam champions Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev – has been postponed following a series of deadly attacks on host city Riyadh.
Alcaraz, Djokovic and Zverev were set to travel to the Saudi capital for a three-day event starting on 21 October.
Australia’s Alex de Minaur, along with American pair Taylor Fritz and Learner Tien, were also earmarked to play.
The event had been in serious doubt since Yemen’s Houthi movement launched attacks on Saudi Arabia at the weekend, including a missile strike on Riyadh’s airport on Saturday that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Saudi Arabia’s energy minister vowed a “serious” response after the kingdom’s oil and gas facilities were also targeted by the Iran-backed Houthis.
Three Saudi Pro League fixtures – including one featuring Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr – were postponed on Tuesday.
Other future sporting events could be affected by the regional conflict, including Formula 1 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
“The decision reflects Riyadh Season’s commitment to delivering sporting events to the highest standards, following an assessment of the organizational and logistical challenges associated with hosting the tournament and their potential impact on the quality of the audience experience,” Six Kings Slam organisers told BBC Sport.
