By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, November 17, 2025
Photo credit: Racquet at the Rock
US Open finalist Jessica Pegula returns to the New York area for Racquet at the Rock.
World No. 6 Pegula has replaced 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in next month’s Racquet at the Rock exhibition event. Raducanu has pulled out of the event due to injury.
The exhibition event is set for Sunday, December 7th at 5:30 p.m. at Newark’s Prudential Center. It will be the first tennis event in the 18-year history of the Prudential Center.
The event is scheduled to feature two best-of-three matchups with a 10-point tiebreaker in lieu of the third set. US Open and Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova will play 2024 US Open finalist Pegula in the opening match, followed by a clash between five-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz facing former US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe.
The addition of Pegula means two of the Top 6-ranked women in the world are in the field.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.
“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,” Alcaraz said. “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 Miami Invitational to be held December 8th will be the first ever tennis event at the home of the Miami Marlins, providing the unique and historic tennis competition at a ballpark.
The event will feature four of the world’s top tennis players: Carlos Alcaraz facing rising Brazilian star João Fonseca marking their first-ever meeting and a second-round showdown of Amanda Anisimova and Jessica Pegula. Anisimova was born in Freehold, N.J., while Pegula is a Buffalo native. Both women now call Florida home.
A Tribute to Althea Gibson
The event will also shine a spotlight on tennis legend and New Jersey icon Althea Gibson, who broke barriers as the first African American to win a Grand Slam title. A longtime resident of East Orange, Gibson went on to win five major singles championships and became a powerful symbol of progress and possibility. Gibson’s influence continues to be felt locally. Newark’s Branch Brook Park is home to both a bronze statue in her honor and the Althea Gibson Tennis Courts, a 20-court facility named by Essex County to inspire the next generation of athletes.
To honor her extraordinary legacy, each participating player at ‘A Racquet at The Rock’ will receive a custom commemorative plaque bearing Gibson’s name as a tribute to her lasting impact on the sport and the state she once called home.
“On behalf of the Althea Gibson Estate, we are deeply grateful for this thoughtful tribute. To see each player receive a commemorative plaque in Althea’s honor is a touching acknowledgment of her enduring influence on the game and the barriers she broke along the way. It’s especially meaningful to have her legacy celebrated here in New Jersey the place she proudly called home.”
