The Garden Cup Electrifies New York City With First Professional Tennis Event at MSG Since 2017

Professional tennis returned to the World’s Most Famous Arena as Carlos Alcaraz, Emma Navarro, Jessica Pegula and Ben Shelton put on a show for the sold-out Madison Square Garden crowd in two separate singles matches at The Garden Cup in December.

“Brings back so many good memories, so many emotions,” said U.S. Open finalist Pegula upon returning to NYC. “I can’t believe we’re here at the Garden playing tennis. It’s so cool.”

The night began with a match between two juniors, twin sisters Annika and Kristina Penickova, two of the top-ranked juniors on the ITF Junior Tour, which was the appetizer to the two featured singles matches that would follow.

First, two New York-born women ranked inside the Top 10, Navarro and Pegula, squared off, as they returned to the city where just three months prior each had compiled their best results ever at a major.

At the U.S. Open, Navarro reached the semifinals while Pegula reached the final, but on this night, it was Navarro who got the better of her compatriot. Navarro outplayed Pegula in a first-set tiebreaker, and fought back in the second set to win the match in straight sets 7-6, 7-5.

“Just so special to be here playing in this arena,” said Navarro. “It’s insane. We came to the Knicks game last night, [and] now they have a tennis court.”

Following the ladies on center court was the marquee matchup between young American Ben Shelton and Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz, two of the most entertaining players in the game today.

And the two did not disappoint.

Booming serves, drop shots and ridiculous rallies produced ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the New York City crowd, as Alcaraz outlasted Shelton in the back-and-forth match 4-6, 6-2, [1-0].

At one point, Shelton handed his racquet to a fan to play a point with Alcaraz, and the fan hit a topspin forehand that landed just beyond the baseline.

“I’m trying to make the people enjoy watching tennis,” Alcaraz said in his post-match interview. “I hope the people enjoyed the match, and that’s what I try to do every time.”

The Garden Cup was the first time since the BNP Paribas Open in 2017 that professional tennis was played at Madison Square Garden, and the success of The Garden Cup was on full display, and the team behind the event is already excited to build on it in 2025.

“The Garden Cup exceeded all expectations with a sellout crowd of 19,698 creating an unforgettable atmosphere,” said Adam Thier, the former Vice President at MSG Sports who now works as a sports event promoter, and who played a vital role in bringing pro tennis back to the Garden. “For two days, the players lit up New York City with their smiles—whether at press events, clinics, sponsor parties, or putting on an incredible show on the court. Alcaraz and Shelton played one of the most entertaining tennis exhibitions I’ve ever seen. The atmosphere in the arena was electric. We are already planning “Tennis Night Out” for 2025 and have some exciting announcements to come soon.”