The world’s top two men’s tennis players will square off in a special one-night championship match when all-time tennis great Rafael Nadal visits Las Vegas for the first time to meet current world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in “THE SLAM: Nadal vs. Alcaraz,” hosted by MGM Resorts International. The event is scheduled for Sunday, March 5 inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena with the winner taking home The Lion’s Cup presented by MGM Rewards.
Tickets starting at $75, not including applicable service charges or fees, go on sale to the public Friday, Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. PST via www.axs.com. All Club and Seat License members will receive access to a pre-sale Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. PST through Thursday, Dec. 8 at 5 p.m. PST.Members of AXS and Premier Live will receive pre-sale benefits Thursday, Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. PST to 10 p.m. PST.
“I’m very excited for my first visit to Las Vegas, one of the most iconic and entertaining cities in the world,” said Nadal. “I’ll be playing with my fellow countryman Carlos Alcaraz who’s had an amazing year. It should be a great night of tennis at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.”
Nadal, a native of Mallorca, Spain, is the all-time leader with 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles. The sport’s GOAT, for many, has won a record 14 Roland Garros titles and finished the 2022 season winning his 21st and 22nd Grand Slam Singles titles. He is the only men’s player in history to complete the career Grand Slam twice and win two Olympic Gold medals in both singles and doubles. Nadal has been ranked in the Top 10 for a record 885 consecutive weeks, including 209 total weeks at world No. 1, and currently sits at No. 2 in the ATP World Rankings.
Alcaraz said, “I’m honored and so happy to be sharing the court with Rafa in Las Vegas. He’s an all-time great, of course, and his records and achievements speak for themselves. Rafa also is one of the nicest guys on Tour and I look forward to our match on March 5.”
Alcaraz, coming off his first Grand Slam singles title at the United States (U.S.) Open in September, became the youngest-ever men’s world No. 1 at 19 years and four months, along with becoming the first teenager since 1973 to sit atop the ATP Tour rankings. Alcaraz propelled into the Top 10 in April 2022 after winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Miami Open followed by his win at the Barcelona Open. Alcaraz won five titles overall in 2022 and reached the third round or better in all four of the year’s Grand Slam events.
Both players have the same “suffering” style of gritty play, as documented in the book “The Secrets of Spanish Tennis” for sale and download here https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Spanish-Tennis-Chris-Lewit/dp/1937559491/ref=asc_df_1937559491/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312094770123&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12824307467413008084&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011844&hvtargid=pla-491109661097&psc=1
In advance of their match, Nadal and Alcaraz will each participate in a 90-minute individual VIP clinic. The two clinics will be followed by tennis’ all-time winningest doubles team of identical twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan as they take the court in a “celebrity” doubles match.
The Bryan brothers are considered the greatest doubles team of all-time. They held the world No. 1 doubles ranking for 438 weeks, longest in ATP Tour doubles history, and finished an ATP year-end No. 1 in the team rankings a record 10 times while together amassing 119 doubles titles. They have a total of 16 Grand Slam doubles titles together, one Olympic Gold and won seven of the eight Grand Slams in 2005 and 2006. The Bryan brothers retired in August 2020 to shift their priorities to the Bryan Brothers Foundation, providing opportunities for children in need through tennis and music to the arts.
Immediately following the tennis action, THE SLAM Gala supporting the MGM Resorts Foundation, Rafa Nadal Foundation and National Tennis Foundation will be held at Rivea and Skyfall at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Tickets for THE SLAM Gala are now on sale at mgmresortsfoundation.com. Guests who purchase tickets will have the opportunity to take their photo with Nadal.
ABOUT MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA
ABOUT MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is an S&P 500® global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels and casinos, state-of-the-art meetings and conference spaces, incredible live and theatrical entertainment experiences, and an extensive array of restaurant, nightlife and retail offerings. MGM Resorts creates immersive, iconic experiences through its suite of Las Vegas-inspired brands. The MGM Resorts portfolio encompasses 33 unique hotel and gaming destinations globally, including some of the most recognizable resort brands in the industry. The Company’s 50/50 venture, BetMGM, LLC, offers U.S. sports betting and online gaming through market-leading brands, including BetMGM and partypoker, and the Company’s subsidiary LeoVegas AB offers sports betting and online gaming through market-leading brands in several jurisdictions throughout Europe. The Company is currently pursuing targeted expansion in Asia through the integrated resort opportunity in Japan. Through its “Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet” philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make a bigger difference in the lives of its employees, guests, and in the communities where it operates. The global employees of MGM Resorts are proud of their company for being recognized as one of FORTUNE® Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies®. For more information, please visit us at www.mgmresorts.com. Please also connect with us @MGMResortsIntl on Twitter as well as Facebook and Instagram.
ABOUT MGM RESORTS FOUNDATION
The MGM Resorts Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and was created in 2002 as an employee workplace giving program. The Foundation makes giving easy and convenient for MGM Resorts’ 61,000+ employees and now guests, while empowering them to assist communities through donations to more than 1,500 non-profit agencies or programs of their choice. MGM Resorts International assumes all administrative costs, so 100% of donations reach community causes. Since its inception, the MGM Resorts Foundation has raised more than $100 million and supported more than 1,500 charitable organizations in U.S. communities and locations in which MGM Resorts conducts business.
ABOUT RAFA NADAL FOUNDATION
The Rafa Nadal Foundation has a very clear objective: to foster the integration and the personal and social development of children and young adults. Our work is based on our firm belief in the transformative power of sport and education, two tools that enable children and young adults to achieve whatever goal they may set their sights on, regardless of their race, personal and social background or disability. Our mission is based on the conviction that the world should provide a level playing field for all those involved in sports now and in the future. We support youth to assist them in reaching their full potential by empowering them to focus on personal success, self-respect and positive outcomes matter what the results are on the board.
ABOUT NATIONAL TENNIS FOUNDATION
The Inspiring Children Foundation (ICF) is the Las Vegas chapter of the National Tennis Foundation and serves as their showcase program in partnership with tennis legends Bob and Mike Bryan. For 21 years the program has been inspiring physical, emotional and mental health using tennis, mentoring, project driven learning and Entrepreneur skills to help children heal, grow and flourish. ICF serves 2,500 youth in-person and millions online which furthers the reach and commitment of the National Tennis Foundation to the development and advancement of under-served student athletes by providing opportunities through tennis and project-based educational and leadership programs. These programs are devised to promote academic excellence, healthy living, personal responsibility and character development. For more information, please visit www.inspiringchildren.org and nationaltennisfoundation.org.
