Eight of the world’s leading men’s players, including American number one Taylor Fritz, will compete for a one million dollar prize pool at next year’s MGM Slam in Las Vegas, organisers confirmed, with the March exhibition set to use a 10 point tiebreak knockout format.
Fritz, ranked sixth in the world, leads a field that includes fellow American Tommy Paul, currently number 20. Norway’s Casper Ruud, Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, Brazil’s Joao Fonseca, France’s Gael Monfils, Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti and Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik complete the line up for an event that has quickly become a prominent fixture on the exhibition circuit.
Now in its third year, the MGM Slam has grown in profile through high calibre match ups. Last year’s edition featured Aryna Sabalenka against Naomi Osaka, while the event also staged one of Rafael Nadal’s final appearances before retirement.
The tournament arrives during a period of increased scrutiny on the sport’s congested calendar. In March, the Professional Tennis Players’ Association filed a lawsuit against governing bodies including the ATP and WTA, arguing that the year round schedule is unsustainable. Despite that pressure, exhibitions remain in demand.
World number one Jannik Sinner and number two Carlos Alcaraz, who between them have claimed nine of the past ten Grand Slam titles, are due to play in South Korea in January, only eight days before the Australian Open. Previous editions of the MGM event have featured major champions such as Roger Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova.
