Jannik Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas receive warm welcome as they become first stars to touch down in Riyadh for Six Kings Slam

The atmosphere is buzzing in Riyadh with the arrival of World No. 2 and defending champion Jannik Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas for the second edition of the Six Kings Slam. Sinner will compete in the field of the top six players, also including Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz.

On Sunday, The Tennis Letter shared a video featuring the Italian landing in Riyadh, meeting with the organizers and even receiving a bouquet in his warm welcome.

A large crowd of young tennis fans gathered outside the building. Sinner came out and acknowledged the support, even signing a few tennis balls.

On the other end, Sinner's quarterfinal opponent, Stefanos Tsitsipas, has also touched down in Riyadh. Tsitsipas, who replaced the injured Jack Draper for the tournament, was also greeted with a warm welcome, a bouquet, and cheers from fans who received signed balls from him.

The 2025 Six Kings Slam will take place from October 15 to 18, 2025, at Riyadh’s ANB Arena. While there are no ranking points at stake but the winner stands a chance to take home $4.5 million in prize money. This is in addition to $1.5 million participation fee for each player.

Jannik Sinner vs Stefanos Tsitsipas winner will face Novak Djokovic in Six Kings Slam semifinal

The Six Kings Slam draw places Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic as seeded players with byes into the semifinals. Whichever player wins in the quarterfinal battle between Jannik Sinner and Stefanos Tsitsipas will enter the semis round and will play against the Serbian legend.

Sinner comes into this game following his retirement at the Shanghai Masters due to severe cramping. In his third-round match against Tallon Griekspoor, Sinner retired while trailing 3-2 in the third set. Temperatures in Shanghai were terrible, with temperatures around 30°C (86°F) and humidity exceeding 80%. Therefore, there are concerns about whether Sinner is completely healthy for the tournament in Riyadh.

Earlier, Sinner played in the China Open and won the tournament. At the 2025 US Open, he finished as runner-up as Carlos Alcaraz defeated him in four sets. The Spaniard will be Sinner's No. 1 rival in the Six Kings Slam and even in the upcoming ATP finals in Turin.

Edited by Krutik Jain