Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu will reunite in public after their recent US Open mixed doubles pairing, but this time they will be opponents. The two Grand Slam champions teamed for the revamped US Open mixed doubles event and drew significant attention, yet their run ended in the opening round with a 4-2, 4-2 loss to Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula.

“It was fun, to be honest. The people, the energy that was there was great. Almost full, Arthur Ashe. I loved the atmosphere, I loved the support, and I love the format, to be honest,” Alcaraz said. “I just had fun. It was great. Not the result that we wanted. I think we could have been much better if we could have prepared much better. But it was great.”

Raducanu added: “I think it was a huge success. I think so many fans got involved, so many people watching and tuned in. It got a lot of attention.

“I think it was a great idea. And, yeah, I had a lot of fun on the court playing with Carlos.”

Both players have since been confirmed for the post-season exhibition A Racquet at The Rock on Sunday, December 7 in New Jersey, United States. Alcaraz, fresh from winning the US Open title after beating defending champion Jannik Sinner in four sets in the final, has appeared in several exhibition matches in recent years. Raducanu, by contrast, rarely takes part in such events.

The exhibition field also includes Frances Tiafoe and Amanda Anisimova. It will not be a mixed doubles format: six-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz will face Tiafoe, while Raducanu will play Anisimova.

Anisimova enjoyed a strong 2025, winning her first WTA 1000 title at the Qatar Open in February, finishing runner-up to Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon and then runner-up at the US Open, losing to Aryna Sabalenka. Raducanu and Anisimova met three times on tour in 2025; Raducanu leads their head-to-head 2-1 after wins at the Australian Open and Miami Open, while Anisimova won their most recent meeting at the Canadian Open. Alcaraz and Tiafoe have met three times, with Alcaraz leading 2-1 after victories at Wimbledon in 2024 and the US Open in 2022; Tiafoe’s win came in Barcelona in 2021.

As with most exhibition events, the emphasis will be on entertainment rather than competitive form.

Team Europe arrives in San Francisco for the Laver Cup (September 19-21) with new leadership and a roster that blends established stars with emerging talent. Yannick Noah and Tim Henman replace Bjorn Borg and Thomas Enqvist as co-captains. Noah brings a history of passionate, player-centered leadership and Henman adds long experience from his years with Great Britain’s Davis Cup team, where he compiled a record of 40-14.

“My approach as a captain has always been to listen to the player,” said Noah. “These guys are younger than my children, I’m just trying to give them unconditional love, not to judge them.”

The squad’s marquee name is world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, fresh from his US Open title and a three-month stretch that included three major finals. The indoor format and tiebreaker third-set rule are expected to suit his aggressive game, and the Chase Center setting offers the kind of big-shot moments Alcaraz enjoys. Steph Curry was courtside for Alcaraz’s US Open win, a recent high point before this team assignment.

Alexander Zverev, ranked third, is back after a third-round loss at the US Open to Felix Auger-Aliassime. The high-energy Laver Cup environment has proved restorative for players in the past, notably when Roger Federer’s pep talk helped Zverev secure a clinching win in the 2018 event.

Casper Ruud and Holger Rune round out the experienced contingent. Both suffered second-round exits at the US Open. Ruud, a Laver Cup regular since 2021 and now ranked 12, has reached three Grand Slam finals and claimed 13 ATP titles, including the Madrid Masters 1000 this season. Rune, ranked 11, has shown fluctuating form and missed playing in the event two years ago because of injury; a successful 2025 debut could reset his momentum.

Two newcomers join the team in Jakub Mensik and Flavio Cobolli. Mensik, 20, rose from just inside the Top 50 at season start to win the Miami Masters 1000 in March, defeating Jack Draper, Taylor Fritz, and Novak Djokovic on the way to the title and is now ranked 17. Cobolli, 23, has collected two ATP Tour singles titles this year, reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals, and is currently ranked 25.

Anna Kalinskaya spoke openly in New York while at the US Open, describing the attention she has received since her high-profile relationship with Jannik Sinner ended earlier this year. Roll the clock back to this time last year and Kalinskaya was in Jannik Sinner’s box as he won his first US Open title, and their public appearances confirmed their status as a prominent couple in the sport.

The world No 32 said she has noticed fewer advances since the breakup. “Someone wrote like 10 times and then gave up,” Kalinskaya revealed. When pressed for a name she identified the man as Holger Rune: “I’ll say it now but just… Holger Rune,” she laughed, before adding: “He writes to everyone. He deserves all this (rejection).

“He thinks too much of himself or maybe he’s just too hopeless. But he’s not the only one (who has asked her on a date).”

A former partner of Nick Kyrgios, Kalinskaya offered a wider view of relationships with players and how they cope with the pressures of the tour. “I know a couple of guys, my friend also dated a tennis player,” she added. “They’re kind of unusual, and they’re a bit depressive to me, they’re a bit too fixated (on tennis) for me.

“Girls are also fixated on results, but I haven’t noticed that girls would be- I think girls are more positive. Guys, if they fail to win a match, or don’t reach their goal- it’s everything for them.”

There has been ongoing speculation about Sinner’s private life since he confirmed to an Italian newspaper that he is seeing someone new: “Yes, but we don’t talk about our private life.” TV viewers also noted what appeared to be a wallpaper of Danish model Laila Hasanovic on his phone; he has denied any relationship with Hasanovic. Sinner has also been linked with American model and influencer Brooks Nader, who was in attendance for his US Open final against Carlos Alcaraz.