Fan-favorite duo: Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu to play in post-season exhibition

Carlos Alcaraz will once again join Emma Raducanu, this time for an exhibition—headlining the "A Racquet At The Rock" event in New Jersey, where they will be joined by Amanda Anisimova and Frances Tiafoe. As in 2024, Alcaraz will begin his off-season with a couple of exhibitions in the USA.

The pairing of Alcaraz and Raducanu was one of the highlights of the recent mixed doubles at the US Open a couple of weeks ago, where they were undoubtedly the most talked-about partnership, despite their early elimination in the first round. Frances Tiafoe and Amanda Anisimova are two other tennis heavyweights, especially for the American public.

The tournament will be held on December 7 at the Prudential Center in Newark, ahead of Christmas. It will have a reduced format, with matches played as the best of three sets and a 10-point super tiebreak in case of a third set. The idea is to offer a dynamic and engaging experience, which attracts both die-hard fans and casual audiences looking for sports entertainment.

In the men's draw, Alcaraz will face Frances Tiafoe, who fell in the third round of the US Open to Jan-Lennard Struff. Both maintain a relationship of respect and friendship, which adds a special element to the match. "It is always a lot of fun to be on the court with Frances. We love to compete against each other," commented the Spaniard, "I can’t wait to put on a great show for the fans in Newark. I’m looking forward to December 7 at Prudential Center; it will be a special night of great tennis."

Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu will measure up against Amanda Anisimova in the other scheduled match. The Brit, who surprised the world by winning the 2021 US Open, is looking to regain confidence, while the American continues to show her potential on the big stage. This matchup will be key to adding more appeal to the event, which promises to be full of excitement and great tennis.

In addition to their exhibition schedule, both Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz were part of the mixed doubles at the US Open, where their participation caught the attention of fans. The partnership debuted in the unprecedented mixed doubles format at this year's Flushing Meadows against the first-seeded team of Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper, winning 4-2, 4-2.

The mixed doubles tournament took place the week before the start of the singles draw and brought together several of the biggest names in singles. In fact, Tiafoe himself teamed up with Madison Keys for the tournament (losing to Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud), while Amanda Anisimova was paired with Holger Rune (losing to Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton).

Alcaraz is one of those who reached the US Open semifinals after defeating the Czech Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals. He will face Novak Djokovic in the semifinals on Friday and, if he reaches the final, will wait for the winner between Jannik Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Anisimova—also confirmed for the New Jersey exhibition—is also in the semifinals, though on the women's side, where she will face Naomi Osaka for a spot in the final. The American eliminated the second seed Iga Swiatek, and if she advances to the final, she will have her second consecutive Grand Slam final and will face the winner between Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula, the protagonists of the 2024 final.