By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Photo: Madison Square Garden Facebook
The stars who lit up Arthur Ashe Stadium with dazzling shots bring the magic to Madison Square Garden tonight.
2022 US Open Champion Carlos Alcaraz face the 2023 Flushing Meadows semifinalist Ben Shelton and US Open finalist Jessica Pegula will play US Open semifinalist Emma Navarro tonight in The Garden Cup exhibition event.
More: TC suspends Jon Wertheim
tonight, MSG Networks will broadcast live The Garden Cup action beginning at 7:00 PM ET.
It’s a big tennis return to Madison Square Garden, which previously hosted the year-end ATP Finals under tournament director Gene Scott.
The season-ending WTA Finals, formerly known as the Chase Championships, were held at Madison Square Garden for more than 20 years starting in 1977 and ending in 2000 when Martina Hingis defeated Monica Seles in front of an MSG-fueled crowd. Hingis and partner Anna Kournikova teamed up to win the 2000 farewell doubles championship at Madison Square Garden.
Madison Square Garden also hosted what was the only professional women’s best-of-five final when the WTA Finals featured a best-of-five final from 1984 to 1998.
Monica Seles’ victory over Gabriela Sabatini in the 1990 final and Steffi Graf’s victory over Martina Hingis in the 1996 final were among the WTA Finals title matches that covered the five-set mark at MSG.
