World No. 1 Jannik Sinner will return to the court at the rescheduled Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia in late December, despite previously announcing that he would not play again in 2026 as he recovers from a knee injury.
Organizers confirmed Monday that the Italian will compete in Riyadh from Dec. 27-30 after security concerns forced the postponement of the lucrative exhibition tournament from its original Oct. 21-24 dates.
Sinner, 25, has not played since winning his second Wimbledon title in July. Earlier this month, he announced that he would end his season prematurely to focus on his recovery, ruling himself out of the remaining European indoor hardcourt tournaments and the ATP Finals in Turin, where he won the title in each of the past two years.
His participation in the rescheduled Six Kings Slam will provide an opportunity to test his fitness against elite opposition before the start of the 2027 season. The exhibition does not award ATP ranking points.
Sinner's return comes after organizers moved the tournament because of security concerns following deadly attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia. One attack on Riyadh's international airport killed 13 people, prompting concerns about the country's ability to host major sporting events.
The disruption has affected other competitions in the kingdom. The Dakar Rally was moved out of Saudi Arabia ahead of its January edition, while the Asian Tour postponed the Saudi International golf tournament indefinitely.
The Six Kings Slam has become one of tennis' most lucrative exhibition events, offering substantial financial rewards to a select group of the sport's leading players. Sinner won the first two editions in 2024 and 2025, defeating Spanish rival Carlos Alcaraz in both finals and earning $6 million on each occasion.
Alcaraz will return for the 2026 edition alongside Sinner, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur.
Zverev is guaranteed to finish the year as the ATP's world No. 1, with Sinner's injury-enforced absence ruling the Italian out of the remaining ranking events of the season.
The revised schedule gives Sinner additional time to recover before facing the demands of competition again. His longer-term priority will be arriving at the Australian Open in January in sufficient condition to challenge for another Grand Slam title.