Sports
Saudi Arabia’s coveted Masters 1000 tennis tournament has stalled as Six Kings arrives in Riyadh
One by one, they pull up at the St Regis Hotel in Riyadh.
Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune have arrived — only Novak Djokovic is yet to join the biggest stars in men’s tennis in accepting flowers, taking tea and talking with Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA).
They are the show and they are here in the Saudi capital for another. One of the richest exhibitions in tennis history, a $15million (£11.9m) bonanza the kingdom has called the ‘Six Kings Slam‘. The winner will take home $6m. Just being there earns over $1m.
Two weeks later, the WTA Tour will arrive for its season-ending finals, another $15million payday for the top eight women’s singles players of the year and the best women’s doubles teams. The ATP Next Gen Finals, an event featuring the top eight men in the rankings aged under 21, will come to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s second biggest city and commercial center, in December.
For the rest of the season, this Gulf nation will assume the role of the heart of the tennis universe, as unlikely as that might seem for a country where people barely play the sport and important tournaments have never taken place. After years of pushing, everything looks ready for Saudi Arabia’s billion-dollar move to become a major force in tennis to take off — with one major hitch.
After months of back-and-forth negotiations and due diligence between the kingdom and the entities that control tennis, the proposal for a major, mixed, 1000-level tournament (one rung below the four Grand Slams) to be held in Saudi Arabia in January or February is still at least three seasons away, a loose gesture at seismic change only slightly more fleshed out than it was a year ago when it set the sport aflame.
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The biggest asset of Saudi Arabia’s three-headed push into tennis remains just an idea, with uncertainty on both sides over the tournament’s size, timing and financing. There remains no guarantee it will come to fruition. There has been no decision on who will participate or how much it will all cost, according to people briefed on the discussions who remain anonymous because they are not authorized to speak publicly about them.
The proposal has become such a question mark that it barely figured in meetings between the ATP and WTA Tours and the four tennis associations that control the Grand Slams at this year’s U.S. Open. Months of discussions between Saudi sports leaders and ATP executives — closely watched by WTA leaders — have failed to bring an agreement on even the most basic tenets of a tennis tournament:
- When should such an event take place?
- Will it be for just the top 56 men, or will it be a larger draw?
- Will it be a mixed event, as the Saudis would prefer, bringing the tournament on par with other 1000-level tournaments, such as Indian Wells, Madrid and Rome — some of the most prestigious of their kind?
Mounting complaints from players about the length and logistics of the sport’s current schedule have further complicated the discussions. Tour officials know this is not the moment to announce a new mandatory tournament, especially one that could shorten an off-season that most agree is already too brief.
Moreover, the answers to the questions above will significantly affect how much money the event might produce, and how much Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) wants to invest in the venture through its sports unit, SURJ Sports Investment. The grand promises of 12 months ago have contracted.
The PIF has partnered with the ATP and WTA Tours on large sponsorship deals. (PIF / Getty Images)
“It wasn’t at the forefront of the discussions because it doesn’t make sense,” said one of the people involved in the Grand Slam meetings at the U.S. Open. “We’re making the assumption that this is nothing to worry about.”
With their coup de grace still up in the air, the Saudis have opted for a more considered approach, people familiar with their plans say — an approach that lends this next month or two of tennis an air of provisionality. Saudi officials are resistant to talking about any grand plans they might have for tennis because they don’t know where those plans might go.
They will test the waters with their biggest and most expensive exhibition — the Six Kings Slam offers one of the biggest monetary prizes in tennis history.
Then the women will arrive for their tour finals, allowing the country to gauge interest and help determine how hard the kingdom should push to invest in tennis during the next decade. The Saudi contract with the WTA runs through 2026, allowing all parties to feel out each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
How many people will attend? Will the infrastructure hold? Will the media impressions roll in? The plan is to see how these events unfold, before pressing ahead with commitments for new ones.
That stance is starkly different from the Saudis’ actions this year. In rapid succession, the nation’s various sports and entertainment units announced new initiatives that made it one of the largest investors in tennis.
Three separate entities have pursued tennis investments without much coordination, though outsiders often lump them together.
In rapid succession during the past year, the GEA unveiled this Six Kings Slam, and the PIF announced major new sponsorship deals with the men’s and women’s tours, which included naming rights to the official rankings. The Ministry of Sport of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF) and the WTA Tour then announced a three-year deal to host the tour finals. Nadal was announced as an STF ambassador, helping promote tennis in the country and add legitimacy to its tennis interests in the eyes of the rest of the world.
Representatives of the PIF held talks with executives of Sinclair Broadcast, which owns the Tennis Channel, about acquiring a major stake in the network. According to people involved with those talks, who spoke anonymously to protect relationships, negotiations broke down when Sinclair raised the asking price from $750million to more than $1billion.
These moves raised Saudi Arabia’s tennis profile, but its potential new tournament at the start of the season was seen as the most important of its tennis investments — and its most divisive. It bid for that event through PIF and SURJ, but the financial ramifications almost paled compared to the existential angst coursing through tennis at the news of the kingdom’s pursuit of the tournament. It would cement Saudi Arabia’s place at the center of the sport, bringing with it an extensively criticized human rights record.
Upon the spring announcement of the country’s deal to host the WTA Finals, Human Rights Watch said, “Torture and imprisonment of peaceful critics of the government continues. Courts impose decades-long imprisonment on Saudi women for tweets.”
Former players, including Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, publicly criticized “partnering a country with a history of repressive laws against women, that criminalizes homosexuality and free speech, and that in 2018 murdered Jamal Khashoggi, a dissident journalist who had travelled to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, to get documents he needed for a marriage license,” as The Athletic wrote in April.
When Saudia Arabia’s pursuit of tennis first came to light, at Wimbledon last year, it prompted the Grand Slams to pursue a counter-offensive that amounted to an attempted takeover of the sport.
Saudi Arabia’s moves into tennis have roiled the organisations behind the Grand Slam tournaments. (Henry Nicholls / AFP via Getty Images)
Tennis Australia had the most to lose. Any tournament in the early part of the year would significantly impact tuneup events in Australia and New Zealand before the Australian Open.
Led by Tennis Australia, the Grand Slams banded together to propose a new format for the entire season, with roughly 14 tournaments included in a so-called ‘premium tour’ for roughly the world’s top 100 players.
The move was an attempt to cleave the biggest non-Grand Slam tournaments from the men’s and women’s tours. The Grand Slams’ organisers also aimed their efforts at players, who have long complained about their arduous schedule’s duration.
In response, the ATP and the WTA pushed ahead with their lucrative sponsorships with Saudi Arabia. Those deals produced hundreds of millions of dollars in much-needed revenue for the tours, some of which will filter down to the players as prize money and bonus payments. Then, at this year’s Indian Wells, the Grand Slams moved to present their plan to the power brokers of tennis, but could not deliver something fully fleshed out. That idea too stalled, smothered by the inertia and fragmentation at the heart of tennis’ corridors of power.
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Since then, top players have been airing their complaints about the schedule again, especially the tours’ decision to extend the length of several of the mandatory Masters 1000 tournaments from seven to 12 days, essentially making them two-week events.
Those complaints have ratcheted up in recent weeks. Iga Swiatek, the world No. 1, complained of exhaustion throughout the summer. Carlos Alcaraz, the sport’s biggest young star, predicted the current schedule “is going to kill us in some way” in a news conference at the Laver Cup, another exhibition event.
Adding another event before the Australian Open would leave players feeling obliged to hit the ground running rather than playing themselves into form in Australia and New Zealand, where they can adjust to the time zone and climate in the weeks leading up to one of the year’s four most important tournaments.
With the tours unable to deliver what the Saudis were hoping for, plans for the new event and the Saudis’ biggest foothold in the sport remain a work in progress. That has allowed sports officials in the kingdom to approach the upcoming tennis events as a lab experiment.
What happens beyond that remains a mystery.
What happens during the next month, however, from how the players experience the event to whether locals and tourists fill the stadium, will dictate what happens down a still-unfinished road.
(Top photo: Adam Pretty / Getty Images)
Sports
Bryce Harper hits for cycle, Kyle Schwarber blasts three homers in Phillies blowout win over Mets
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The Phillies’ turnaround following the dismissal of manager Rob Thomson reached a new milestone when two of the franchise’s biggest stars delivered a historic performance.
Kyle Schwarber launched three home runs, including two in the third inning, while Bryce Harper completed the cycle to add yet another achievement to his accomplished career.
The offensive explosion powered Philadelphia to a 15-3 rout of the New York Mets on Saturday, as the Phillies continued their surge and received a signature performance from two of the game’s most recognizable stars.
Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber celebrates his home run with Bryce Harper during the third inning against the New York Mets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 20, 2026. (Chris Szagola/AP)
Schwarber’s first home run traveled 456 feet, while his second blast of the third inning measured 457 feet off Mets reliever Cionel Pérez.
He capped his night with a two-run homer in the seventh inning. Schwarber’s major league-leading home run total climbed to 28, and the performance marked the fifth three-homer game of his career.
Cristopher Sanchez allowed one earned run in six innings to lower his ERA to 1.80.
It’s his 23rd straight start at Citizens Bank Park in which he allowed two earned runs or fewer, the second-most such starts by a pitcher at the same ballpark in MLB history since 1913, trailing only Jacob deGrom’s 24 at Citi Field for the Mets from Sept. 9, 2019 to Aug. 31, 2022.
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Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies leave the field after defeating the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 20, 2026. (Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Schwarber is the 67th player in major league history and second this season with multiple home runs in an inning, joining Houston’s Yordan Alvarez on June 12.
Schwarber is the fourth Phillies player to hit two home runs in an inning, along with Trea Turner (Aug. 19, 2023), Von Hayes (June 11, 1985) and Andy Seminick (June 2, 1949).
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber hits a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on June 20, 2026. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Harper hit a solo home run in the first inning, his 16th of the year. He doubled and singled in the third, then hit a two-run triple to the gap in left-center field in the fifth for his first career cycle and the 11th in Phillies history.
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The Phillies and Mets will wrap up their three-game series Sunday night, with first pitch set for 7:20 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is well into the second run of group play, with every team still eager to post wins and most looking to secure a place in the knockout stage.
Here’s everything you need to know about matches being played Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in the 48-team tournament across the U.S., Mexico and Canada (all times Pacific). Tuesday’s matches will conclude the first two games of group play for every team at the World Cup.
Sunday’s Group G matchups:
Belgium vs. Iran
Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku, right, is challenged by Egypt’s Ramy Rabia during a World Cup Group G match on June 15.
(Alex Grimm / Getty Images)
Where: SoFi Stadium
Time: noon
TV: FS1, Telemundo
The buzz: Iran twice rallied from deficits to draw with New Zealand in its first game, while Belgium, outplayed by Egypt in its opener, was lucky to escape with a point on an own goal early in the second half. Belgium’s aging golden generation of Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, Thomas Meunier and Axel Witsel is going to need to do much better if they hope to avoid another early World Cup exit.
New Zealand vs. Egypt
New Zealand’s Callan Elliot, left, and Iran’s Mehdi Ghayedi battle for the ball during a World Cup Group G match on June 15.
(Andre Penner / Associated Press)
Where: BC Place, Vancouver
Time: 6 p.m.
TV: FS1, Telemundo
The buzz: One of these teams could make history since neither has ever won a World Cup game. New Zealand earned its first point in the World Cup since 2010 with a draw against Iran. The winner likely advances to the next round.
Sunday’s Group H matchups:
Spain vs. Saudi Arabia
Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal, top, challenges for the ball during a draw with Cape Verde on June 15.
(Mattia Ozbot / Getty Images)
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Time: 9 a.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: Both teams opened the World Cup with surprising results. Second-ranked Spain was unable to score in a draw with No. 67 Cape Verde. Saudi Arabia was 10 minutes away from upsetting Uruguay, only to settle for a tie. Spain desperately needs a win to get its World Cup back on track, while another good performance from Saudi Arabia — unbeaten in its last three games — would have the Arabian Falcons in position to reach the knockout stage.
Uruguay vs. Cape Verde
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha holds the nation’s flag after a draw with Spain on June 15.
(Buda Mendes / Getty Images)
Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
Time: 3 p.m.
TV: FS1, Telemundo
The buzz: With all four teams playing to draws in their openers, the group is wide open. That creates a rare opportunity for tournament debutant Cape Verde, the second-smallest country to qualify for a World Cup. Vozinha, Cape Verde’s goalkeeper, made seven saves to shut out Spain. If he can frustrate Uruguay the same way, Cape Verde could be through to the round of 32.
Monday’s Group J matchups:
Argentina vs. Austria
Argentina’s Lionel Messi reacts after scoring his third goal against Algeria at the World Cup on June 16.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Time: 10 a.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: Argentina opened its World Cup title defense with a 3-0 win over Algeria on a hat trick from Lionel Messi. The Argentina captain, playing in his record sixth World Cup, is tied with Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the most career World Cup goals (16). Austria, meanwhile, would all but assure itself of a spot in the knockout round with a point.
Jordan vs. Algeria
Algeria’s Zineddine Belaïd kicks the ball during a World Cup loss to Argentina on June 16.
(Michael Steele / Getty Images)
Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.
Time: 8 p.m.
TV: FS1, Telemundo
The buzz: Little was expected of Jordan, making its first appearance in the World Cup. And it delivered little in a 3-1 loss to Austria. But Algeria, ranked 28th in the world, entered the tournament with high hopes and one of African soccer’s most potent attacks. However, it had only one shot on goal in its loss to Argentina and needs a big rebound to avoid an early trip home.
Monday’s Group I matches:
France vs. Iraq
France’s Kylian Mbappé celebrates after scoring against Senegal on June 16.
(Adam Hunger / Ap Photo/adam Hunger)
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Time: 2 p.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: Kylian Mbappé proved his fitness with a brace in France’s opening win over Senegal, giving him 14 World Cup goals, tied for fourth on the all-time list. He has a great chance to pad that total against an Iraq team that gave up four goals to Norway. Iraq still is looking for its first-ever World Cup point.
Norway vs. Senegal
Norway’s Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring against Iraq on June 16.
(Justin Setterfield / Getty Images)
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
Time: 5 p.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: Norway, playing in its first World Cup this century, made up for lost time with a 4-1 win in its opener, getting two goals from Erling Haaland. Norway probably will move on to the next round no matter what happens, but a point would lock down a spot. Senegal and Sadio Mané, on the other hand, desperately need a win.
Tuesday’s Group K matchups:
Portugal vs. Uzbekistan
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo walks on the field during a match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on June 17.
(Molly Darlington / Getty Images)
Where: NRG Stadium, Houston
Time: 10 a.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: Cristiano Ronaldo entered this World Cup with visions of winning his first title. But he’ll go home early and empty-handed unless fifth-ranked Portugal improves on the listless performance it had in a draw with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Uzbekistan, playing in its first World Cup, was not intimidated by the big stage, weathering a withering Colombia attack in a 3-1 loss. Expect it to bunker in again against Portugal.
Colombia vs. DR Congo
Yoane Wissa, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring for the Democratic Republic of the Congo against Portugal on June 17.
(Karen Warren / Associated Press)
Where: Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: FS1, Telemundo
The buzz: The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s only other World Cup appearance came in 1974, when the country was known as Zaire; it lost all three games and didn’t score a goal. It’s already done better with Yoane Wissa’s score in first-half stoppage time giving the team a point against Portugal. A win here and it’s through to the knockout phase. The same is true of Colombia, which got a 65th-minute goal from Luis Díaz and another from substitute Jáminton Campaz deep in stoppage time to beat stubborn Uzbekistan.
Tuesday’s Group L matchups:
England vs. Ghana
England’s Harry Kane celebrates after scoring against Croatia on June 17.
(Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
Time: 1 p.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo
The buzz: England opened its World Cup with a surprisingly comfortable win over Croatia behind two goals from captain Harry Kane. But the Three Lions are only equal atop the table with Ghana, which got a goal deep in stoppage time from Caleb Yirenkyi to beat Panama. If there’s a winner here, it probably will decide the group. A point likely sends both teams through.
Panama vs. Croatia
Where: BMO Stadium, Toronto
Time: 4 p.m.
TV: Fox, Telemundo
Panama’s Ismael Díaz attempts a shot against Ghana on June 17.
(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
The buzz: Croatia has played in two straight World Cup semifinals, but that streak is in jeopardy after a 4-2 loss to England. Panama outshot, outpassed and outpossessed Ghana in its first game but came away with nothing after conceding a goal in stoppage time, leaving the Central Americans still looking for their first World Cup win.
Sports
Jazz Chisholm explains why he still won’t wear a cup after fouling a pitch into his own groin
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Men around the country are still wincing from the sight of New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. fouling a pitch straight into his own groin.
It was bad enough that Chisholm had to leave the game, and it left many wondering why he wasn’t wearing a cup to protect himself.
Well, now we have an answer.
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New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. took a brutal shot to the groin on Thursday night. (Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images)
Yankees beat writer Gary Philips shared some quotes from Chisholm explaining why he wasn’t a cup guy before taking a foul ball to the cojones, and why he isn’t going to be a cup guy moving forward.
WEEKS AFTER BULLFIGHTER SUFFERED PERFORATED RECTUM, ANOTHER WAS GORED IN GROIN AND REQUIRED EMERGENCY SURGERY
Chisholm said that the pain level was a “million,” and that, “If you ever got hit in the testicles, you would know.”
Most males reading this just nodded at that statement.
But Chisholm revealed that despite cups being mandatory in the minor leagues, he still skipped them and will continue to because he trusts his own defensive abilities.
“I’ve never worn a cup,” he said. “I’ve never been hit in the balls. That was just unlucky.”
Now, there are times when I wonder why men don’t wear cups all the time just for some peace of mind (I feel that way about helmets too). You wouldn’t regret not wearing a cup until the moment you’re at a cookout and a rogue volleyball puts you in shambles.
But I also like that Chisholm trusts himself to react and protect the boys. I’ve always said that a fairly significant part of a man’s life is devoted to protecting his lower anatomy.
You’re ever vigilant, trying to steer clear of anything that could leave you doubled over on the ground, and spouting off every expletive you know and several others you didn’t realize you knew.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. says he’ll rely on his defensive abilities instead of wearing a cup moving forward. (David Richard-Imagn Images)
Waist-high branches, table corners, projectiles, bicycle seats, even a pet jumping in your lap when you’re not ready.
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Chisholm is self-aware enough to know where his self-preservation reflexes stand, and I respect that.
But if he takes another foul ball to the lower area of his body, he might want to start rethinking that stance on cups.
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