Another day, another incursion by Saudi Arabia into major professional sports.
The country’s General Entertainment Authority announced on Monday that a tennis event it is calling the “6 Kings Slam” will take place this October in Riyadh and feature Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz.
The event will be an exhibition and not count for points or be a part of the men’s ATP Tour, but the participation of three of its biggest stars is yet another sign that Saudi Arabia is willing to pay top dollar to attract top tennis talent. Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune, will round out the field. Rune is the only player involved who has not won a Grand Slam title.
Djokovic has won 24. Nadal, who announced last month that he had signed on to become an ambassador for Saudi Arabian tennis and work to develop the sport in the kingdom, has won 22. Alcaraz has won two and Medvedev and Sinner, who recently dueled in the Australian Open final, have each won one.
(WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)
The announcement comes as Saudi Arabia is nearing a deal to begin hosting the WTA Tour finals, which is the season-ending championship of women’s professional tennis. The deal is expected to be announced this month, barring a last-minute change of heart by the…
