The high-stakes exhibition tournament is once again drawing the biggest names in the tennis world to the desert.
Alexander Zverev will compete again in 2026 in the controversial Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. As announced Tuesday evening by the organizers from the country’s entertainment authority, the French Open champion and Wimbledon finalist is part of the six-player field.
“I’m really excited,” the 29-year-old from Hamburg wrote on Instagram. The tournament, which has no competitive significance, will take place from October 21 to 24. As was the case last year, the world’s top two players, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, will be competing. Record Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and American Taylor Fritz will also be returning to the indoor venue. Only Australian Alex de Minaur will be making his debut.
Participants cannot earn ATP points, as the tournament is not part of the Tour calendar. Financially, however, it should be worthwhile: In 2025, two-time champion Sinner received $1.5 million in appearance fees plus a $4.5 million winner’s prize.
The tournament is part of the Riyadh Season. With October designated as the month for these events, the Kingdom hopes to reduce its dependence on the oil industry in the long term. The human rights organization Human Rights Watch has repeatedly accused the country of “sportswashing” in the past.