{"id":133193,"date":"2025-09-04T21:41:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T21:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/133193\/"},"modified":"2025-09-04T21:41:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T21:41:07","slug":"carlos-alcaraz-headlines-surprise-schedule-announcement-as-tennis-returns-to-new-jersey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/133193\/","title":{"rendered":"Carlos Alcaraz headlines surprise schedule announcement as tennis returns to New Jersey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carlos Alcaraz<\/a> will headline a new tennis exhibition in New Jersey this December that includes several other tennis stars.<\/p>\n

Alcaraz, the world No. 2 who will meet Novak Djokovic<\/a> in the US Open semifinals on Friday, will play No. 17 Frances Tiafoe <\/a>in \u201cA Racquet at The Rock.\u201d <\/p>\n

On the women\u2019s side, Amanda Anisimova<\/a>, the Wimbledon runner-up who is also in the US Open semifinals, will face former US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the first match.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) and Unified Events organized the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is always a lot of fun to be on the court with Frances\u2014we love to compete against each other, and I can\u2019t wait to put on a great show for the fans in Newark,\u201c said Alcaraz, the five-time Grand Slam champion. \u201dTo play again in the metropolitan area with all the amazing fans, it\u2019s something special. They bring such unique energy, and they love tennis so much. I\u2019m looking forward to December 7 at Prudential Center, it will be a special night of great tennis.\u201d<\/p>\n

The event is currently scheduled to feature two best-of-three matches with a 10-point tiebreaker for the third set. <\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

Anisimova, who is set to face Naomi Osaka in the US Open semifinals Thursday night, was born in Freehold Township, N.J.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a special feeling to return to the place where my tennis dreams first began,\u201d Anisimova said. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The presale for \u2018A Racquet at The Rock\u2019 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\u2019s Box Office.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thrilled to partner with HBSE in bringing together the top tennis talent in the world for the first-ever \u2018A Racquet at The Rock,\u2019 said Molly Pendleton, Senior Vice President of Unified Events. \u201cThe popularity of these four athletes will make this a can\u2019t miss event for fans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a tremendous honor for our company, in partnership with Unified Events, to announce this debut of elite professional tennis at Prudential Center,\u201d said Dylan Wanagiel, Vice President, Sports Properties and Special Events, HBSE\/Prudential Center. \u201cWhile our venue has a long history of hosting marquee events we have not yet seen the likes of \u2018A Racquet at The Rock\u2019 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.<\/p>\n

Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter and Basketball Insider for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria <\/a>and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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