Carlos Alcaraz joins Vienna Open line-up after six Kings Slam postponement

Carlos Alcaraz will compete at the Vienna Open after organisers moved quickly to secure the world-class Spaniard following the postponement of the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia.

The Vienna tournament confirmed the news on Thursday, revealing that tournament director Herwig Straka contacted Alcaraz’s management as soon as reports emerged that the lucrative exhibition would be rescheduled.

“When indications emerged on Wednesday that the Six Kings Slam… would be postponed until the end of December, Tournament Director Herwig Straka reacted immediately and contacted Carlos Alcaraz’s management,” the organisers said in a statement.

“Everything happened very quickly after that, and Carlos agreed to come to Vienna without much hesitation,” Straka added.

“His commitment is a tremendous honour for our tournament.”

The Six Kings Slam, originally scheduled to take place from October 21 to 24 and stream live on Netflix, has been postponed, with organisers reportedly targeting new dates from December 27 to 30.

Several leading players had planned to participate in the Saudi Arabian exhibition before travelling to Austria for the Vienna Open, which begins on October 26. These include Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur and rising American talent Learner Tien.

The Vienna tournament has already attracted an impressive field, with other top players such as Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli and Frances Tiafoe also scheduled to compete in the ATP 500 indoor hard-court event.

Alcaraz Returns to Vienna With Title Ambitions

The former world No. 1 is no stranger to the Austrian capital, having previously competed at the Vienna Open in 2021. On that occasion, Alcaraz reached the semi-finals before his campaign came to an end.

His return comes after a mixed run of results following his comeback from an extended injury lay-off at the US Open in late August.

Alcaraz demonstrated his quality by winning the tournament in Tokyo in September, but he suffered a setback at the Shanghai Masters, where he was eliminated in the third round by Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in straight sets on Monday.

The Spaniard will now have another opportunity to regain momentum in Vienna as he prepares to face a competitive field featuring several established ATP Tour stars.

His late addition provides a major boost to the tournament’s line-up, while fans will be eager to see how the former world No. 1 performs on the indoor hard courts.

With Alcaraz joining an already strong field, the Vienna Open is shaping up to be a significant stop on the ATP Tour calendar as the season approaches its closing stages.