Nadal to Face Alcaraz in One-Night Championship Match in Vegas
December 7, 2022
LAS VEGAS (Dec. 6, 2022) – 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.
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.