Saudi Arabia is set to host a prestigious new tennis exhibition featuring top players such as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, alongside three other Grand Slam winners, in October.
The Six Kings Slam event will be a part of Riyadh Season, Saudi Arabia's cultural and entertainment festival. It will feature major champions Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Jannik Sinner, as well as Holger Rune.
Scheduled during the ATP season, the event coincides with a month already packed with ATP tournaments. Typically, exhibition events occur during breaks or after the ATP season, but in October, players are committed to Masters 1000 tournaments in Shanghai and Paris.
Nadal, who recently became the ambassador for the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation, expressed his anticipation for the event, stating, "After some other tennis players have done so, I am very excited to play for the first time in Riyadh."
Saudi Arabia has already established itself as a host for the Next Gen ATP Finals, showcasing the top men's under-21 players in Jeddah. Discussions have also revolved around the country potentially hosting the women's WTA Finals.
However, prominent figures in tennis, including Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, have voiced opposition to staging the women's season-ending event in Saudi Arabia.
Critics accuse the oil-rich kingdom of utilizing its wealth to enhance its image through sports, a practice often referred to as 'sportswashing'.
Saudi Arabia's significant investments in various sports, including golf, Formula 1, football, and boxing, have drawn attention. Nevertheless, advocacy groups continue to highlight concerns regarding the kingdom's human rights and equality record.
Earlier, it was confirmed that Djokovic will participate in the Indian Wells, where his old rival Nadal will also appear.
If everything goes according to the plan and both players play in the tournament, the old rivals will likely cross one another’s part and the tennis enthusiast will get to witness the legendary rivalry one more time.
Nadal and Djokovic have been competing at the highest level since their first encounter at Roland Garros in 2006 where the Spaniard emerged victorious.
That was the start of a legendary rivalry that would share 59 matches — a record in men's tennis — between them with some of the greatest encounters including the 2012 Australian Open final, which was the longest major final match by duration that lasted 5 hours, 53 minutes with the Serbian beating the Spaniard.