Jannik Sinner to return at Six Kings Slam in December

World number one Jannik Sinner will make his comeback from a knee injury at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia after organisers postponed the tournament to December 27-30, Sportstar reported. The Italian, aged 25, announced this month that he would not compete again in 2026 while recovering from the injury that has sidelined him since winning Wimbledon in July. That decision ruled him out of the European indoor hardcourt swing along with the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, where Sinner also triumphed in the last two years. The lucrative Six Kings Slam exhibition event, a non-ATP tournament, was due to take place in Riyadh from October 21-24 but is now scheduled for December 27-30. Organisers announced the date change after an attack by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Riyadh’s international airport killed 13 people.

Why it matters

Sinner beat Carlos Alcaraz in both Six Kings Slam finals, earning himself $6 million at each event. Along with Sinner and Alcaraz, the event will also feature Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur. Zverev is guaranteed to finish 2026 as the ATP’s year-end world number one. Sinner is currently ranked world No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals and was the year-end No. 1 in 2024. He has won 30 ATP Tour-level singles titles, including five majors, ten Masters and two ATP Finals titles. He led Italy to back-to-back Davis Cup crowns in 2023 and 2024. Alcaraz and Sinner have faced each other 17 times since 2021, with Alcaraz leading the rivalry 10-7, including 4-2 at the grand slams and 5-4 in finals.

What happens next

The Six Kings Slam is scheduled for December 27-30 in Riyadh. January’s Dakar Rally was moved out of Saudi Arabia due to security concerns, and golf’s Asian Tour has postponed the Saudi International indefinitely.

Six Kings Slam field and key figures

Sources

• Times of India

• Sportstar

• Photo: Daniel Cooper, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)