Alcaraz joins Vienna Open after Saudi exhibition postponement
World number three Carlos Alcaraz has joined the Vienna ATP tournament’s line-up after organisers moved swiftly to secure his participation following the postponement of the lucrative Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia.
The Vienna Open organisers announced on Thursday, October 15, 2026 that the Spanish star had agreed to compete at the indoor hard-court ATP 500 event, which begins on October 26.
Tournament director Herwig Straka said he contacted Alcaraz’s management immediately after indications emerged on Wednesday that the Saudi exhibition would be postponed until late December.
“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 said. “His commitment is a tremendous honour for our tournament.”
The Six Kings Slam, initially scheduled for October 21-24 and set to be streamed live on Netflix, was postponed following deadly attacks on Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Organisers are now hoping to stage the exhibition from December 27-30.
Alcaraz’s addition strengthens an already competitive Vienna field featuring several leading players who had been scheduled to compete in Saudi Arabia before travelling to Austria.
US Open champion Alexander Zverev, Australia’s Alex de Minaur and American Learner Tien had already planned to play at both events.
Other top-10 players announced for Vienna include Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli and Frances Tiafoe.
Alcaraz previously competed in Vienna only in 2021, when he reached the semi-finals.
The former world number one will be seeking to build consistency after an uneven return from a lengthy injury layoff at the US Open in late August.
He claimed a title in Tokyo in September but suffered an unexpected setback at the Shanghai Masters on Monday, losing in straight sets to Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in the third round.
His appearance in Vienna now offers another opportunity to regain momentum against a strong field as the season approaches its conclusion.
