Nick Kyrgios appeared to lose a potential win at the MGM Slam in Las Vegas due to a chair umpire's scoring mistake during his match against Alexander Bublik. The error occurred in a 10-point tiebreak, where Kyrgios led 9-7 but the score was called 8-8, leading to his defeat. Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca won the $1 million exhibition tournament.
The MGM Slam took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, featuring eight top players in a fast-paced 10-point tiebreak knockout format just days before the Indian Wells tournament. During the quarterfinal match between Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Bublik, a controversy arose over the scoreboard. A fan noted online: “But was I the only one who saw a mistake in the Kyrgios and Bublik score? Kyrgios served at 9-7, but they scored it 8-8.”
Tennis journalist Jose Morgado confirmed the incident, stating: “True. Kyrgios was 9-7 up, but the umpire messed up the score and called it 8-8. Nick lost the next two points and the match.” This mistake proved decisive in the high-stakes exhibition, where every point mattered.
Players expressed enthusiasm for the event beforehand. Lorenzo Musetti told the Las Vegas Review-Journal: “I think it’s a really cool format with eight top players, the opportunity to play in Vegas, which is probably the most known city for shows, for entertainment. I think that’s a really great combination to what people want to see in a tennis exhibition.” Taylor Fritz added: “It’s awesome to do an event there that’s fast-paced and exciting.”
Joao Fonseca, a 19-year-old Brazilian, emerged as champion, defeating Reilly Opelka 10-6, 7-10, 10-5 in the final after earlier wins over Gael Monfils and Bublik. Fonseca received $300,000, while Opelka earned $150,000 as runner-up. Semifinalists Taylor Fritz and Alexander Bublik took $100,000 each, and quarterfinalists including Kyrgios, Tommy Paul, Casper Ruud, and Monfils got $87,500 apiece.
Kyrgios, currently ranked No. 751 after an injury-limited 2025 season with fewer than 10 matches, has prioritized exhibitions for financial reasons. He stated: “Like I have also, and I know in this part of my career, I know why I’m playing those exhibitions, and I know why I’m doing that, because cash is great.” Recent appearances included a win over Aryna Sabalenka in Dubai and participation in The Garden Cup with Naomi Osaka and Tommy Paul. As attention turns to the BNP Paribas Open, the Las Vegas incident highlights challenges in exhibition play.
