By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, November 17, 2025
Photo: Rocket on the Rock
US Open finalist Jessica Pegula returns to the New York area for Racquet at the Rock.
World No. 6 Pegula has replaced the US Open 2021 champion Emma Raducanu at Rocket at next month’s Rock showcase event. Raducanu has withdrawn from the event due to injury.
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 and Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova will play 2024 US Open finalist Pegula 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.
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 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,” Alcaraz said. “Playing in the metropolitan area again with all the wonderful fans is something special.
“They bring such a unique energy and love tennis so much. I can’t wait for Dec. 7 at the Prudential Center, it will be a special night of great tennis.”
The Miami Invitational on December 8 will be the first tennis event at the home of the Miami Marlins, offering the unique and historic tennis competition in a park.
The event will feature four of the world’s best tennis players: Carlos Alcaraz vs rising Brazilian star João Fonseca marking their first meeting and a showdown in the second round of Amanda Anisimova AND Jessica Pegula. Anisimova was born in Freehold, NJ, while Pegula is a Buffalo native. Both women now call Florida home.
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.”
