​Saudi Arabia is trying to become a big name in more and more sports, and tennis is no exception. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will take part in the “6 Kings Slam” in October 2024, the organizers of the exhibition tournament in Riyadh said in a statement.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will participate in the exhibition tournament 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia

Carlos Alcaraz, Yannick Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune will also take part in this tennis competition, which is part of the Riyadh Season cultural and entertainment festival.

After Sinner’s title at the 2024 Australian Open, Rooney became the only player without a Grand Slam.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal said they were looking forward to the event.

“I’m happy to be back in Riyadh and play in front of all my Saudi fans” – Novak Djokovic (24 Grand Slam titles).

“After several other tennis players have done it, I am very excited to play in Riyadh for the first time” – Rafael Nadal (22 trophies won at major tournaments), ambassador of the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation.

Demo tennis tournaments in the Persian Gulf are nothing new, but they usually take place during or after breaks in the ATP season.

The ATP Tour has a busy October calendar that also includes the Masters 1000 tournaments in Shanghai and Paris. Specific dates for the “6 Kings Slam” have not been announced.

John McEnroe: “I do not agree with the investment of Saudi Arabia in tennis”

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in sports such as football, Formula 1 and golf. However, critics have accused Saudi authorities of using sports to highlight issues related to equality and human rights, Forbes reported.

Debate over Saudi Arabia potentially hosting the WTA Finals has intensified after former major players Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova spoke out against the move, drawing sharp criticism from the Saudi ambassador to the US last week.

John McEnroe (7 Grand Slam singles titles) said Saudi Arabia’s involvement in tennis was a “slippery slope” for the white sport.

“Personally, I completely disagree with this, with golf and tennis. Will the players play there in the Tournament of Champions? You’re joking? Because he treats women so well? This part seems funny to me.

At the same time, people who can criticize tennis players or golfers for what almost all companies and governments are doing, which is to negotiate with Saudi Arabia, are ridiculous. John McEnroe.

The ex-ATP leader also wasn’t shocked by reports that the Saudis want to buy the big Miami Open and Madrid Open: “I would be really surprised if they didn’t buy those tournaments.”

Saudi Arabia will also host the ATP Next Gen, a tournament designed for the best under-21 players, in the city of Jeddah between 2023 and 2027, the ATP announced in August 2023.