Sinner to return at Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, matches set for 27-30 December

The announcement

Jannik Sinner will return to competition at the Six Kings Slam, an exhibition tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Supertennis, the television channel of the Italian tennis federation, reported on Monday, 26 October, that the 25-year-old had shared an Instagram story showing a tournament card with his name and face. Rai News says the card was posted by Turki Alalshikh, a Saudi businessman and one of the event's main organisers, and that Sinner reposted it. The tournament is not part of the ATP tour, so players earn no ranking points for taking part. Sinner won the first two editions, in 2024 and 2025, and he will try to defend the title.

Why the tournament moved

The event was first scheduled for 21 to 24 October, and Sinner was not in that line-up, where the American Learner Tien had been named in his place. Adnkronos linked the postponement to security concerns and organisational difficulties in the Middle East region. Rai News instead cited geopolitical tensions in the Gulf area. Fanpage reports that the organisers moved the event to late December for reasons of timing, and that the new dates allowed them to revise the list of players. Sinner's name had been dropped from the list before the move and was restored once the new dates were set.

Sinner's injury and absence

Sinner has not played since the Wimbledon final, which La Repubblica dates to 12 July, when he beat Alexander Zverev. ANSA reports that he retained the Wimbledon title to claim the fifth Grand Slam of his career. Earlier in October he said his 2026 season was over because of a knee problem, and La Repubblica specifies that the injury affects his right knee. The layoff also cost him the US Open, the Asian tournaments and the indoor season, including the ATP Finals in Turin in November. His first official event is expected in January in Australia, where he should play a preparation tournament before the Australian Open.

Six Kings Slam schedule

The tournament will run from 27 to 30 December. Fanpage reports that a rule bars exhibition matches on three consecutive days, so the quarterfinals will be played on Sunday, 27 December, the semifinals on Monday, 28 December and the final on Wednesday, 30 December. Sinner's quarterfinal is against Alex de Minaur, whom Fanpage says Sinner has beaten 13 times in 13 career meetings. That match would be Sinner's first on court after the long absence. The original dates of 21 to 24 October are shown for comparison in the timeline below.

Open questions

Fanpage reports that Sinner changed his medical team during the layoff, but none of the articles gives details of how his knee has recovered. The announcement came through his own Instagram story and an organiser's post, not through a statement from the tournament's published schedule. Sinner's return will come in an exhibition rather than a ranked event, so the Riyadh matches will not change his position in the rankings. Whether the 27 December quarterfinal goes ahead as planned will depend on his recovery in the weeks before it.