Saudi Arabia is increasingly becoming an attractive destination for athletes, irrespective of their sport. To ensure that tennis also gets a piece of that pie, the kingdom has appointed Spaniard Rafael Nadal as the ambassador of the country’s tennis association. Not just that, Serbian icon Novak Djokovic will also soon be spotted on a court in Riyadh, taking part in the kingdom’s mammoth sporting and cultural event.

Rafael Nadal’s decision to join the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation as their brand ambassador received heavy criticism. Many believed his decision to be money-oriented. On this note, however, it is Djokovic who has caused a fair bit of furor, as he, along with other big names in tennis, will be participating in Saudi Arabia’s upcoming tennis project.

The likes of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alacaraz to grace the tennis courts of Saudi Arabia

Recently one reliable tennis source shared on their official X (formerly Twitter) that Novak Djokovic will be joining Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, and others to take part in the 6 Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia for its Riyadh Season. Sharing the news, the source wrote- “Nadal, Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner, Medvedev and Rune will participate in the newly created ‘6 Kings Slam’ exhibition for Riyadh Season, in Saudi Arabia, in October this year!”  While fans are excited to see these tennis stars under one roof, many are still apprehensive because of the money involved.

Since the WTA is struggling to reach a consensus with Saudi Arabia to host the tournament finals in the country because of their strict rules against women, this recent development expresses the lack of solidarity from ATP. This is perhaps why despite ATP’s blooming participation in Saudi Arabian tennis, WTA is still apprehensive about taking part in it.

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Just a few days back, Rafael Nadal surprised fans by announcing that he had been newly appointed as the brand ambassador of the Saudi Arabian Tennis Federation. Nadal’s work will involve training the upcoming tennis enthusiasts of the country as a part of the 2023 initiative. In fact, Nadal also spoke about starting his academy in Riyadh and mentoring the country’s players for international championships.

Be that as it may, with Nadal playing a bigger role, Novak Djokovic’s presence along with Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Daniil Medvedev will surely bring a lot of attention to Saudi Arabia’s aspirations of becoming a tennis destination.

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