Six Kings Slam draw: Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic into SF directly, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's QF opponents revealed
The draw for the Six Kings Slam, a new exhibition event led by Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, was revealed on Saturday, September 28. The tournament will be held from October 16-19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Fans will have to wait to see Nadal and Djokovic in action as the two titans of the sport have received a bye into the semifinals. The remaining four contenders, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune, will first duke it out in the quarterfinals on the first day of the event on October 16.
Alcaraz will take on Rune. The two haven't crossed paths since the former beat the latter en route to the Wimbledon title last year. The winner of the match will secure a date with 22-time Major champion Nadal.
Sinner and Medvedev will lock horns in the other quarterfinal. Their rivalry gets renewed every few weeks. Four of their 13 career meetings have come this year, with a potential fifth duel on the horizon at the ongoing China Open. The winner will face 24-time Major winner Djokovic in the semifinals.
The semifinals will take place on October 17. Players will get a day of rest on Friday, and the winner will be crowned on October 19. There will also be another round to decide the outcome of the third and fourth place on the same day.
With the biggest names in men's tennis set to assemble in one place, fans are abuzz with excitement. Furthermore, with Nadal's rumored retirement at the end of the season, this could be one of the last few times we get to see the Spaniard in action.
The Six Kings Slam will be Rafael Nadal's first tournament of any kind since the Paris Olympics
While his contemporaries have been grinding it out on the tour, Rafael Nadal has been on the sidelines since his Paris Olympics campaign came to an end. He withdrew from the US Open before pulling out of the Laver Cup.
The Spaniard was recently included in the Spanish squad for the upcoming Davis Cup Finals in November. The announcement has given rise to rumors that it could be his farewell tournament since it will be held in Spain. However, fans won't have to wait that long to see him compete.
Nadal's appearance at the Six Kings Slam will allow them to see him engage with other high-profile names in a tantalizing showdown. He has only faced Djokovic this year from his fellow participants in the upcoming event. The two met in the second round of the Paris Olympics, with the Serb coming through in straight sets.