Major Tennis Tournament in Saudi Arabia Postponed Ahead of WWE Crown Jewel 2026

A major pro tennis tournament scheduled for Saudi Arabia has been postponed in light of the ongoing situation in the Middle East (h/t F4WOnline.com). With rising violence and tension in the Middle East over the Iran war, there have been questions surrounding WWE Crown Jewel, which is slated for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia next month.

WWE is continuing to push and advertise the event for Riyadh, despite multiple security alerts and advisories by the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh that U.S. citizens shouldn’t travel there. Meanwhile, earlier this week, Turki Al-Sheikh, the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) in Saudi Arabia, announced that the tennis Six Kings Slam tournament has been “postponed” for “logistical reasons.”

Per Al-Sheikh, the tournament has now been moved back to December. He wrote on his X account, “The Six Kings Slam tournament has been postponed due to logistical reasons and will now take place on December 27 🙏🏼🎾.” The tournament was originally scheduled for October 21-24. It was set to feature multiple tennis stars, including Novak Djokovic.

Canelo reached out and told me he’ll still fight in Riyadh this October, no matter what happens. He fears nothing.

My country is home to the two Holy Mosques, land of peace, safety, rich civilization, deep history, and kind-hearted people.

Thank you to everyone who checked in…

— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) October 11, 2026

Will WWE Crown Jewel Move Forward in Saudi Arabia?

There have been many questions surrounding WWE holding the event in Riyadh in light of the security situation. Over the weekend, new air strikes by the Houthis were conducted at the King Khalid International Airport in the city. The attack left 12 people dead and 300 injured. Operations were also suspended at the airport.

Yesterday, WWE executive Paul “Triple H” Levesque revealed the new event poster for Crown Jewel, with both the new graphic and Triple H’s post continuing to advertise the event for Saudi Arabia. Later in the day, F4WOnline’s Bryan Alvarez reported that WWE is still planning to hold the event in Riyadh, but a “backup city in the U.S. is on the table.”

However, PWInsider Elite later issued its own report, stating that WWE has not had any conversations about moving the premium live event to another location, and that the promotion is consulting with both the Saudi government and a private security firm on the matter.

For now, WWE has yet to announce any changes or postponement for the event, and it appears to be moving forward as planned in Riyadh. WWE Crown Jewel 2026 is scheduled for Saturday, November 7. It will be held at the Riyadh Season Stadium at King Abdullah Financial District.