Saudi Arabia’s star-studded Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition has been postponed amid heightened regional tensions and recent attacks in Riyadh.

The tournament was originally scheduled to take place from October 21 to 24, featuring some of the biggest names in men’s tennis, including Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev. It will now be held from December 27 to 30, organisers announced.

Organisers officially cited organisational and logistical challenges, along with their potential impact on the quality of the event and the spectator experience, as the reason for moving the tournament.

The announcement came amid a series of attacks in Riyadh. Saudi authorities said at least 12 people were killed and more than 300 injured in a recent attack on King Khalid International Airport. Another attack on the airport later caused further casualties. Saudi-led forces have blamed Yemen’s Houthi movement for the attacks.

The 2026 Six Kings Slam line-up was set to include Alcaraz, Djokovic, Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur and Learner Tien. Defending champion Jannik Sinner will miss this year’s event because of injury.

The lucrative exhibition tournament has attracted some of the biggest names in tennis because of its substantial prize money and appearance fees. Sinner won the first two editions, defeating Alcaraz in the final on both occasions.

The event is scheduled to take place at the ANB Arena in Riyadh when it returns in December. It remains unclear whether the revised dates will affect the availability of all six originally announced players.

The disruption has also affected Saudi football. Three Saudi Pro League matches have been postponed, including Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr fixture, which has been moved to March. The Al-Hilal vs Al-Riyadh and Al-Ittihad vs Al-Shabab matches have been rescheduled for December.

Al-Nassr’s AFC Champions League match earlier this week was also delayed following a security alert in Riyadh. Ronaldo scored in the match as Al-Nassr secured victory.

With the Six Kings Slam now moved to the end of December, attention will turn to whether the event can go ahead as planned and whether all of the announced tennis stars will be available for the revised dates.