Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro, both American players who recently achieved their best-ever performances at the U.S. Open, are set to compete against each other in an exhibition match at Madison Square Garden on December 4. This event will also showcase four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz facing off against Ben Shelton.
The lineup for The Garden Cup was revealed on Thursday, marking the first tennis event at Madison Square Garden since 2018, which is also the home arena for the NBA's Knicks and the NHL's Rangers.
Pegula made it to her inaugural Grand Slam final at Flushing Meadows, ultimately falling to Aryna Sabalenka with a score of 7-5, 7-5 on Saturday. Navarro made headlines by defeating defending champion Coco Gauff in the fourth round of the U.S. Open and advanced to the semifinals, where she was eliminated by Sabalenka.
Currently, Pegula is ranked No. 3 and Navarro No. 8 in the WTA rankings.
Alcaraz claimed victories at both the French Open and Wimbledon this season but was eliminated in the second round of the U.S. Open last month, a tournament he won in 2022 for his first Grand Slam title. Shelton's best performance at a major was reaching the semifinals in New York last year; this time, he was defeated by fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the third round.