Days after Iran-backed Houthi rebels killed 12 people at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the continuation of several Middle East-backed sporting events is in jeopardy.
On Wednesday, tennis fans learned that this year’s Six Kings Slam, scheduled to begin next Wednesday, Oct. 21, and stream live on Netflix, has been postponed to December because of the conflict in the region. It’s the third edition of the Six Kings Slam, which boasts the most lucrative annual prize pool in all of men’s tennis. Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, and Learner Tien were scheduled to participate in the exhibition.
But tennis isn’t the only sport potentially affected. Uncertainty has struck the upcoming fight between Canelo Álvarez and Christian Mbilli, scheduled for Riyadh on Oct. 31 and broadcast by DAZN. Álvarez recently indicated he still plans to fight in Riyadh at the end of this month, according to The Athletic.
In motorsports, Formula One is scheduled to hold races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi to end its season, but reports prior to the recent airport attacks indicate the circuit is considering canceling the events. F1 already canceled races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia earlier this year because of regional tensions and has reportedly lined up Italy as a potential replacement for its season finale if the races cannot go forward as planned.
Taken together, staging high-profile sporting events in the Middle East is becoming an uncertain endeavor, one that could make leagues and broadcasters think twice about scheduling events in the region going forward.
In eight years, the biggest sporting event of them all, the FIFA World Cup, is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia. But if instability continues to plague the Middle East, it’s anyone’s guess whether preparations for that tournament can stay on schedule.
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