Star-studded Saudi exhibition postponed after deadly attacks

Key points

• The Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition in Riyadh, featuring Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev, has been postponed after deadly Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
• A missile strike on Riyadh's airport on Saturday killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
• The event, won by Jannik Sinner last year, has been rescheduled for 27-30 December.

The Six Kings Slam tennis exhibition in Saudi Arabia has been postponed following a series of deadly attacks on host city Riyadh. The three-day event, which was due to start on 21 October, was set to feature Grand Slam champions Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev.

Australia's Alex de Minaur and Americans Taylor Fritz and Learner Tien were also earmarked to play. The tournament had been in serious doubt since Yemen's Houthi movement launched attacks on Saudi Arabia at the weekend, including a missile strike on Riyadh's airport on Saturday that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.

Organisers explain postponement

Six Kings Slam organisers told BBC Sport the decision reflected Riyadh Season's commitment to delivering sporting events to the highest standards, following an assessment of organizational and logistical challenges and their potential impact on the quality of the audience experience.

The ANB Arena, which hosts the Six Kings Slam, is located in the north of Riyadh, about 31km from King Khalid International Airport. The third edition of the lucrative exhibition, won by Italy's Jannik Sinner last year, has been postponed until 27-30 December.

The decision reflects Riyadh Season's commitment to delivering sporting events to the highest standards, following an assessment of the organizational and logistical challenges associated with hosting the tournament and their potential impact on the quality of the audience experience

— Six Kings Slam organisers

Other events affected

Three Saudi Pro League fixtures were postponed on Tuesday, including one featuring Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. The league cited logistical considerations for rescheduling the matches, with Al-Riyadh against Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad against Al-Shabab pushed back until December, and Al-Nassr's trip to Al-Ahli moved to March.

Saudi Arabia's energy minister vowed a serious response after the kingdom's oil and gas facilities were targeted by the Iran-backed Houthis. In golf, the Asian Tour said it is closely monitoring the situation in Saudi Arabia, with its season-closing PIF Saudi International scheduled at the Riyadh Golf Club from 18-21 November. Other future sporting events, including Formula 1 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, could be affected by the regional conflict.