The “Six Kings Slam” tennis tournament in Saudi Arabia has been postponed from October to December 27–30 following a strike on Riyadh’s international airport that killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300, Reuters reported on October 14. As security concerns mount across the kingdom, the Asian Football Confederation stated it remains open to moving the 2027 Asian Cup to 2028.
Tournament Postponement and Security Assessments in Riyadh
Organisers announced the rescheduling on Wednesday, attributing the delay to organizational and logistical challenges impacting the audience experience following the recent attack. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed responsibility for the strike, marking the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in over a decade. Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, and Taylor Fritz were originally scheduled to compete from October 21–24, while defending champion Jannik Sinner had already withdrawn due to injury.
⚽️ Sports events affected by attacks in 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia:- FIFAe Finals 2026 postponed- Six Kings Slam tennis rescheduled from Oct to Dec- Asian Tour monitoring situation ahead of Saudi International (golf)- AFC open to moving 2027 Asian Cup, scheduled to start Jan 7, to 2028
The exhibition event routinely attracts the world’s top players. Alcaraz previously acknowledged in 2024 that the financial aspect influenced his participation after earning $1.5 million over four days. Meanwhile, golf’s Asian Tour stated it is actively monitoring the security situation ahead of the upcoming Saudi International scheduled in Riyadh next month.
AFC Position on the 2027 Asian Cup Timeline
Saudi Arabia is slated to host the Asian Cup in soccer for the first time in 2027, with the tournament scheduled to kick off on January 7 across eight venues in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Khobar, serving as a critical test ahead of the 2034 World Cup. However, AFC president Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa told reporters in Zurich that officials are in “no hurry to make a decision” regarding a potential postponement.
“We can wait until the end of November. Things can change very quickly for better or worse in the region and it is question of seeing what happens,” Salman said during the FIFA Council meeting. “If we need to make a decision then we will, but we could move back a year to 2028 if we need to. But at the moment we are monitoring the situation and everything is on schedule.”
| Tournament | Original Window | Revised Status | Host Cities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six Kings Slam (Tennis) | October 21–24 | Postponed to Dec 27–30 | Riyadh |
| Asian Cup (Soccer) | January 7, 2027 | Under review / Open to 2028 | Riyadh, Jeddah, Al-Khobar |
| FIFAe World Cup (Esports) | October 16–25 | Proceeding (JFA withdrawn) | Jeddah |
Broader Sporting Disruption and International Responses
The FIFAe World Cup is set to take place in Jeddah from October 16 to 25. In response to the regional developments, the Japan Football Association announced it would not participate following a comprehensive assessment of safety and security information in the host country.
Football Australia confirmed that its security team is actively monitoring the situation. Reuters has contacted both the AFC and FIFA for comment as the sporting calendar across the region faces mounting scrutiny.
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