Carlos Alcaraz accepts wildcard for Vienna Open after Six Kings Slam postponement

New Delhi: Spanish tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz will be returning to the Erste Bank Open in Vienna later this month after accepting a wildcard for the ATP 500 event.

The World No.3 will return to Vienna for the first time since 2021, which was also his debut in the indoor event. The Spaniard didn't want to enter the ATP 250 event and hence chose to go with Vienna, where he reached the semifinal and defeated Andy Murray before losing to eventual winner Alexander Zverev.

Alcaraz's return to the Austrian capital comes after the Six Kings Slam was postponed in Saudi Arabia due to the attacks on the host city Riyadh. The Vienna organisers took the opportunity to contact Alcaraz's management and got the seven-time champion on board.

"When indications emerged on Wednesday that the Six Kings Slam, originally scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia next week, would be postponed until the end of December, Tournament Director Herwig Straka reacted immediately and contacted Carlos Alcaraz’s management," Vienna organisers said.

Meanwhile, tournament director Straka stated that Alcaraz accepted the wildcard without hesitation. "Everything happened very quickly after that, and Carlos agreed to come to Vienna without much hesitation. I am delighted that we will be able to welcome him to the Erste Bank Open this year. He is one of the most exciting players and personalities on the ATP Tour and captivates an enormous global fanbase. His commitment is a tremendous honour for our tournament," said Straka.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz will be the second seed in the event behind Alexander Zverev. There will be six Top 10 players participating in the event as Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, Alex de Minaur and Frances Tiafoe will also present their challenges alongside Alcaraz and Zverev.

Alcaraz recently suffered a shock third-round defeat in the Shanghai Masters after losing to Zizou Bergs in the round of 32.

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