Carlos Alcaraz will headline a new tennis exhibition in New Jersey this December that includes several other tennis stars.
Alcaraz, the world No. 2 who will meet Novak Djokovic in the US Open semifinals on Friday, will play No. 17 Frances Tiafoe in “A Racquet at The Rock.”
On the women’s side, Amanda Anisimova, the Wimbledon runner-up who is also in the US Open semifinals, will face former US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the first match.
The inaugural event will be held on Sunday, December 7, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. ET, at Prudential Center in Newark and will be the first tennis event in the 18-plus year history of the building.
Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) and Unified Events organized the event.
“It is always a lot of fun to be on the court with Frances—we love to compete against each other, and I can’t wait to put on a great show for the fans in Newark,“ said Alcaraz, the five-time Grand Slam champion. ”To play again in the metropolitan area with all the amazing fans, it’s something special. They bring such unique energy, and they love tennis so much. I’m looking forward to December 7 at Prudential Center, it will be a special night of great tennis.”
The event is currently scheduled to feature two best-of-three matches with a 10-point tiebreaker for the third set.
Big-time tennis exhibitions have deep roots in New Jersey. The old John Korff-run Mahwah event ran for more than 20 years before its demise in 2001. Over the years, it featured Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Jennifer Capriati and Monica Seles
Anisimova, who is set to face Naomi Osaka in the US Open semifinals Thursday night, was born in Freehold Township, N.J.
“It’s a special feeling to return to the place where my tennis dreams first began,” Anisimova said. “I am looking forward to playing against one of the best players in the world in Emma and having the opportunity to do so in my original home state of New Jersey.”
The presale for ‘A Racquet at The Rock’ will begin on Monday, September 8 at 12 p.m. and will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, September 10 at 12 p.m. ET. Tickets will be available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com, Prucenter.com, and Prudential Center’s Box Office.
“We are thrilled to partner with HBSE in bringing together the top tennis talent in the world for the first-ever ‘A Racquet at The Rock,’ said Molly Pendleton, Senior Vice President of Unified Events. “The popularity of these four athletes will make this a can’t miss event for fans.”
“It is a tremendous honor for our company, in partnership with Unified Events, to announce this debut of elite professional tennis at Prudential Center,” said Dylan Wanagiel, Vice President, Sports Properties and Special Events, HBSE/Prudential Center. “While our venue has a long history of hosting marquee events we have not yet seen the likes of ‘A Racquet at The Rock’ featuring some of the best tennis players from all across the world. This is a significant milestone for our team, and will continue to showcase Newark as a leading sports and entertainment destination.”
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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter and Basketball Insider for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.
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