A suspended Jannik Sinner is out and Casper Ruud is the MGM Rewards Slam.
World No. 1 Sinner, who is serving a three-month suspension to settle WADA’s appeal of his doping case, withdrew and Ruud has replaced him The MGM Rewards Slam, set for Saturday and Sunday, March 1-2 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
On Sunday, March 2, the 26-year-old Ruud of Oslo, Norway, currently No. 5 in the world rankings, joins world No. 2 Alexander Zverev and Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul in a four-player round-robin event using 10-point tiebreakers. The two players with the highest points will compete in a Championship Tiebreak for the men’s version of the Lion’s Cup.
Ruud, who has 12 ATP singles titles in his more than 10-year career, became the highest-ranked Norwegian in history when he vaulted to No. 2 in the world singles rankings in September 2022. After growing up idolizing Rafael Nadal and training at the all-time great’s academy, Ruud squared off against his hero and lost in the finals at the 2022 French Open. Ruud, who has earned more than $23 million in career prize money, was honored by his fellow players with the 2022 Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award.
In Saturday’s main event, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will face off against former No. 1 Naomi Osaka for the coveted Lion’s Cup. Sabalenka, the recent Australian Open finalist from Belarus, is a three-time Grand Slam singles champion while Japan’s Osaka has earned four Grand Slam titles, including her first two back-to-back at the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 Australian Open.
Additionally on Sunday, American Reilly Opelka and Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard will square off in “The Ace Challenge Presented by Michelob ULTRA” for the title of the game’s fastest serve.
Tickets are on sale via axs.com. Single-day tickets start at $55 and two-day tickets at $127.50, not including applicable service charges or fees.