Photo by: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Las Vegas loves its champions. This week, T-Mobile Arena welcomes eight of the world’s premier tennis players for The MGM Slam Presented by Capital One, in a fast-paced, 10-point tiebreaker knockout singles-format tournament with a $1 million prize pool.
The roster reads like a match point dream. Taylor Fritz leads the field as ATP World No. 6 and top-ranked American, fresh from captaining Team World to the 2025 Laver Cup title. “If you want to win a big title, more than likely you’re going to have to beat one of them, maybe both of them,” Fritz recently reflected about challenging the sport’s elite. “That’s just what my focus is on, trying to continue to try and close the gap.” Fellow American Tommy Paul brings his career-high No. 9 ranking and Australian Open quarterfinal pedigree to the Strip.
Norway’s Casper Ruud serves three-time Grand Slam finalist credentials and a career-high No. 2 ranking. Then there’s Nick Kyrgios, the Australian showman whose comeback from multiple surgeries delivered perhaps the tournament’s most electric wildcard. “I am a sicko. I just love it all,” Kyrgios has said of competitive tennis. “I don’t know what else to do with myself, to be honest.” After battling injuries that kept him off court for most of three years, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist returns with the unpredictable brilliance that’s made him impossible to ignore.
Photo by: Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Brazil’s 19-year-old sensation Joao Fonseca brings one of the tour’s most powerful forehands, already boasting wins in Argentina and Basel. French veteran Gael Monfils, who announced he’ll retire at age 40 following the 2026 season, delivers acrobatic court coverage that continues to defy both age and gravity after 22 years on tour. Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti and Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik complete the field, each bringing distinctive playing styles that promise dynamic matchups.
T-Mobile Arena—home to the Golden Knights and countless sold-out concerts—creates an atmosphere that breaks from Wimbledon’s hushed reverence. Here, the crowd brings championship-level energy, and these players feed off every point.
What makes this event exciting is its ultra-fast format. Unlike traditional tournaments spanning weeks, this single-day showdown compresses all the drama into one high-stakes afternoon beginning at 4 p.m. Players can’t rely on momentum built over multiple rounds. Every point carries weight. Every game matters. The winner takes home not just prize money, but bragging rights earned in front of a crowd that appreciates bold plays and clutch performances.
This is the third straight year MGM Resorts has hosted The MGM Slam. Last year featured WTA World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka defeating former No. 1 Naomi Osaka. In 2024, all-time great Rafael Nadal played one of his final matches before retirement, losing Carlos Alcaraz in a passing-of-the-torch moment tennis fans won’t soon forget.
Photo by: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Seeing these greats live reveals a new dimension to the game. The speed, the spin, the split-second decisions—they all register differently from arena seats, where you hear the actual sound of ball meeting strings at 130 miles per hour.
Get ready, Vegas. It’s game, set, match.
T-Mobile Arena. 4 p.m. March 1, starting at $89 plus tax and fee. t-mobilearena.com
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