By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, November 8, 2025
Superstars will be mixing it up in Newark next month.
Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu and Amanda Anisimova and Frances Tiafoe will meet in a mixed doubles match for the inaugural “Rocket on the Rock” exhibition.
The showcase event is set for Sunday, December 7 at 5:30 pm at Newark’s Prudential Center. It will be the first tennis event in the Prudential Center’s 18-year history.
The event is scheduled to feature two best-of-three matches with a 10-point instead of a third set. US Open semifinalist Amanda Anisimova will play the 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the opening match, followed by a clash between the five-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz against the former semi-finalist of the US Open Frances Tiafoe.
Tickets are on sale now and can be bought here.
“It’s always a lot of fun to be on the court with Frances – we love competing against each other and I’m looking forward to putting on a great show for the fans in Newark,” said Alcaraz. “Playing in the metropolitan area again with all the amazing fans is something special. They bring such a unique energy and love tennis so much. I can’t wait for December 7th at the Prudential Center, it will be a special night of great tennis.”
A tribute to Althea Gibson
The event will also spotlight 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 won five major singles championships and became a powerful symbol of progress and opportunity. Gibson’s influence continues to be felt locally. Branch Brook Park in Newark is home to 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 outstanding legacy, every player participating in the ‘A Rocket on The Rock’ will receive a 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 plaque in Althea’s honor is a touching recognition of her lasting impact on the game and the barriers she broke down along the way. It is especially meaningful to celebrate her place in New Jersey.”
