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Nadal returns for Vegas hardcourt event

22-time Grand Slam champ to compete at T-Mobile Arena in February

1 min read
SummaryOpen the quick read
  • Rafael Nadal will make his hardcourt return at "The MGM Slam" exhibition in Las Vegas on February 28, 2027.
  • The 22-time Grand Slam champion previously retired from professional tennis in November 2024.
  • The event will take place at T-Mobile Arena, with further participants and competition format details to be released soon.
  • Nadal expressed enthusiasm for returning to Las Vegas, noting that his passion for competition remains as strong as ever.
Spanish player Rafael Nadal returns the ball during a tennis match marking Rafa Nadal Academy's 10th anniversary, in Manacor, on the Spanish Balearic Island of Mallorca on October 3
Spanish player Rafael Nadal returns the ball during a tennis match marking Rafa Nadal Academy's 10th anniversary, in Manacor, on the Spanish Balearic Island of Mallorca on October 3 Picture: MANAURE QUINTERO/AFP

Rafael Nadal will return to hardcourt competition for the first time since his retirement in November 2024 in a one-night Las Vegas exhibition event next February, organisers announced on Monday.

The 40-year-old Spanish left-hander who won 22 Grand Slam singles titles will compete in "The MGM Slam" on February 28 next year, at T-Mobile Arena.

Other players and a format for the event will be disclosed later.

Nadal, winner of a record 14 French Open singles titles, makes a hardcourt return in Vegas after playing in an exhibition event at his academy in Spain earlier this month.

Nadal played a 2024 match in Las Vegas against countryman Carlos Alcaraz.

"I remember how impressive it was to feel the energy of a full arena in a city like Las Vegas," Nadal said.

"Now I return in a different stage of my life, without the pressure of the tour but with the same passion for this sport.

"I have always loved competing, and even if my professional career is finished, that feeling never really goes away."

Earlier this year, eight ATP Tour stars played in a Vegas event where players competed in a 10-point tie-breaker format, with Brazilian teen Joao Fonseca winning the title.

The Herald