On His Way to Indian Wells

March 1, 2026 — The MGM Slam announced that Nick Kyrgios would be playing in Las Vegas this year and our hearts began racing. The talent and showmanship bestowed upon his tennis are unmatched. As he once said, he wouldn't know what else to do with himself. Nevertheless, in the end and out of an exciting line-up, only one tennis player in the Future Meets the Showman group won: Joao Fonseca of Brazil. Fonseca defeated Reilly Opelka 10-6, 7-10, 10-5, and stood out as the winner among the seven-player draw for a million dollars prize of the MGM Slam Lion’s Cup.

The 10-point tiebreaker, knockout singles-format groups were fun to watch: The Stars and Stripes Showdown: Taylor Fritz vs. Tommy Paul, Chaos Bowl: Nick Kyrgios vs. Alexander Bublik, The Future Meets the Showman: Joao Fonseca vs. Gael Monfils, Art vs. Arctics: Rilley Opelka vs. Casper Ruud. Lorenzo Musetti had to withdraw due to an injury and Reilly Opelka took his place.

"We could have held this event in the North Pole, and the Brazilian fans would have showed up for you. How cool to have cheering sections no matter where you go?" said the MGM Slam Master of Ceremonies on court following Fonseca's match with Gael Monfils.

"It's a pleasure, I love representing my country," said Fonseca.

Still a teenager and with a rise of 700 rankings since 2024, some critics have predicted that Fonseca has the potential to join the ranks of Sinner and Alcaraz. To be decided, it remains an exciting tennis journey ahead. And now with a major Brazilian crowd of supporters behind him and plenty of Las Vegas good luck coins, Fonseca is on his way to Indian Wells.