By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, November 8, 2025
Superstars will mix it up in Newark next month.
Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu and Amanda Anisimova and Frances Tiafoe will face off in a mixed doubles match for the inaugural “Racquet at the Rock” exhibition.
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 semifinalist Amanda Anisimova will play 2021 US Open Champion Emma Raducanu in the opening match, followed by a clash between five-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz facing former US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe.
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.”
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.”
