Current and future tennis stars are coming to New Jersey for ‘A Racquet at The Rock’

“A Racquet at The Rock” is taking place at the Prudential Center in Newark on Sunday, Dec. 7, and tennis fans in New Jersey will get a chance to see professional tennis players in action up close in their home state at the inaugural event.

Headlining the night will be a pair of best-of-three singles matches, with a mixed doubles showcased added in between the four competitors.

Fans will be able to see a showdown between 2025 Wimbledon and U.S. Open finalist Amanda Anisimova and 2024 U.S. Open finalist Jessica Pegula, followed by a matchup between six-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz and two-time U.S. Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe.

“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 in a statement. “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. …It will be a special night of great tennis.”

Anisimova, a Freehold native, is also looking forward to the matches.

“It’s a special feeling to return to the place where my tennis dreams first began,” Anisimova said. “I am looking forward to playing against one of the best players in the world in and having the opportunity to do so in my original home state of New Jersey. It will be an incredible celebration of tennis.”

A special junior showcase beginning at 4:30 p.m. will open the event featuring two of the top local junior players in the world.

East Brunswick teenager Ronit Karki is one of the most accomplished junior players in the nation. A Stanford commit for 2026, Karki has been ranked No. 1 nationally in every USTA age division, and he’s recently moved on to international ITF competition, playing in three Junior Grand Slams this year where he finished runner-up at the Wimbledon Junior tournament.

Karki’s older sister, Naomi, won Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament and NJSIAA Group 4 and Tournament of Champions titles with East Brunswick High School in 2019. She is currently a junior and a member of the Rutgers women’s tennis team.

“I’m super excited to play on such a big stage at Prudential Center in my home state of New Jersey,” Karki said in a statement.

His opponent will be New York native Jack Kennedy, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2026. Kennedy has competed in the last six Junior Grand Slams at singles, and he made the final at Roland Garros earlier this year. Kennedy also competed in the qualifying rounds of the U.S. Open each of the past two summers.

The inaugural A Racquet at the Rock is expected to shine a spotlight on tennis legend and Garden State 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 titles in the 1950s. Newark’s Branch Brook Park is home to a bronze statue in her honor and the Althea Gibson Tennis Center, a 20-court facility.

Each player participating at the event will receive a custom commemorative plaque bearing Gibson’s name as a tribute to her lasting impact on the sport and the state she called home.

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