Riyadh Season has postponed the Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition from October 21-24 to December 27-30, the first event on the Saudi fall calendar to move since the attacks on King Khalid International Airport. The Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian Mbilli card, scheduled ten days after the tennis was due to open, remains on for October 31 in Riyadh.
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, announced the change Wednesday on X. “The Six Kings Slam tournament has been postponed due to logistical reasons and will now take place on December 27,” he wrote.
The Riyadh Season statement said the decision came “following an assessment of the organizational and logistical challenges associated with hosting the tournament” and that it “reflects Riyadh Season’s commitment to delivering sporting events to the highest standards.” The statement did not mention security. It said preparations for the rescheduled dates will continue and thanked players, partners and fans.
The exhibition, which awards no ranking points and paid Jannik Sinner $6 million for each of his two titles, was to feature Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic among its six-man field. Sinner had already withdrawn with a knee injury and been replaced by Learner Tien.
The postponement follows a week in which Saudi authorities said a Houthi missile strike on the Riyadh airport on October 10 killed 12 people and injured 309, with a second strike the following day on a passenger terminal reported to have killed one more. Saudi aviation authorities have suspended operations at the airport through October 17. On Tuesday night, Saudi Civil Defense said debris from two intercepted missiles fell on residential areas of the capital, injuring four people and damaging 15 homes.
Airlines have pulled back. According to a Reuters factbox, Air France-KLM has suspended Riyadh service through the end of October, Lufthansa Group carriers through October 16 and Etihad through October 19, while Qatar Airways has suspended Riyadh and Dammam flights without an announced end date. The U.S. State Department placed Saudi Arabia at Level 3, Reconsider Travel, in an October 12 advisory, and the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh has told citizens to expect possible flight cancellations and airspace closures. The Mexican embassy advised its citizens to avoid the areas around the Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam airports.
Alalshikh addressed the boxing card on Sunday, the day after the airport attack. “Canelo reached out and told me he’ll still fight in Riyadh this October, no matter what happens. He fears nothing,” he wrote on X, adding, “Hard times reveal true friends.” Alvarez has not spoken publicly on the matter himself, and there has been no statement from Mbilli, the WBC super middleweight champion, or from his promoter.
The October 31 card, billed as Mexico vs. The World, is set for The Venue in Riyadh under The Ring and Riyadh Season, with a main event start of 3 a.m. local time to reach prime time in Mexico and the United States. Reports in Mexico and France of a fallback date at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on November 21 have not been confirmed by anyone connected to the promotion.
The rest of the Riyadh Season sports calendar has largely proceeded. Saudi Pro League and AFC Champions League Elite matches were played in Riyadh on Monday, though Al Nassr’s kickoff was delayed by a Civil Defense alert and its pre-match training was called off. The Pro League has also postponed three fixtures, citing what it called logistical considerations. The Asian Tour says the PIF Saudi International golf event, set for November 18-21 at Riyadh Golf Club, is under security review, and that “any changes to the schedule will be announced as soon as we have determined the right course of action.”
WWE Crown Jewel, scheduled for November 7 at Riyadh Season Stadium, one week after the boxing card, was promoted for Riyadh on Monday’s Raw, with Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn and Liv Morgan vs. Chelsea Green announced for the show. Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer reported Tuesday that Riyadh “is still the plan for Crown Jewel” and that a U.S. city is “on the table” as a contingency. PWInsider reported that WWE has had no conversations about moving the event and will make no decision without the approval of the private security firm advising it on the region. WWE and TKO have issued no public statement.
The Six Kings Slam was the earliest of the three marquee events and so the first to require a decision. The airport is due to reopen Saturday. The boxing card is 17 days out.
