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Sinner to play rescheduled Saudi Six Kings in December

Italian star eyes injury comeback alongside Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev

1 min read
SummaryOpen the quick read
  • Jannik Sinner indicated he will return to court action at the rescheduled Six Kings Slam in Riyadh this December.
  • The 25-year-old Italian world No. 1 has been sidelined by injury since claiming the Wimbledon title in July.
  • Originally slated for October, the tournament was postponed to 27-30 December due to regional security conflicts involving Yemen's Houthis.
  • The Riyadh exhibition is also expected to showcase Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, and Carlos Alcaraz.
  • Regional tensions have impacted several sports fixtures in Saudi Arabia, including the cancellation or relocation of the 2027 Dakar Rally.
Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, who has been out injured since July, arrives at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit ahead of the Italian Formula One Grand Prix in Monza, Italy, on September 6
Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, who has been out injured since July, arrives at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit ahead of the Italian Formula One Grand Prix in Monza, Italy, on September 6 Picture: ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP

Jannik Sinner has signalled he will return to action in the "Six Kings Slam" tournament in Riyadh, which has been rescheduled for late December due to the conflict with Yemen's Houthis.

The 25-year-old Italian, currently ranked world No 1, has been out injured since winning Wimbledon in July.

He also looked set to miss the Riyadh event, originally scheduled for October, which organisers hope will go ahead from December 27 to 30.

Sinner shared a poster for the event on Monday on his Instagram account featuring his image and the event name and dates, but without further comment.

His 94% winning record in 2026 is the best of his career, even beating his figures from the previous two seasons in each of which he won two Grand Slams and the ATP Finals.

The tournament is expected to feature 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic, world No 2 Alexander Zverev, winner of the French Open and the US Open this season, and possibly seven-time major winner Carlos Alcaraz.

The 2027 Dakar Rally is the latest sporting event scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia to be cancelled, postponed or relocated due to Houthi attacks on the country and the wider US-Iran war that erupted in February.

The Herald