The Garden Cup brings tennis’ biggest personalities back to NYC

Tennis is heading back to Madison Square Garden, and the stars are coming with it.

The next stop on top players’ whirlwind late-year calendar is New York City, where some of the sport’s biggest names are touching down for The Garden Cup. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, Olympic medalist Tommy Paul and former Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios are all set to take over ‘the world’s most famous arena’ on Monday night.

Tennis has a long history with the iconic venue, which has hosted iconic matches and tournaments—including the WTA Finals—for decades. Now, a new wave of stars is hoping to add their own moments to that legacy.

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“I’m so excited to perform there, knowing how many big concerts were played there and big events that have happened there,” Sabalenka tells Tennis.com. “I’m super excited just to put my feet on that floor, hopefully it’s gonna be fun.”

The Garden Cup features two marquee singles matchups—Osaka vs. Sabalenka, a showdown between two-time US Open champions, and Kyrgios vs. Paul, a guaranteed crowd-pleaser—as well as a mixed doubles match pairing Osaka and Kyrgios against Sabalenka an Paul.

The event lands in the middle of a packed exhibition swing. Last week’s Charlotte Invitational on December 4 brought out Venus Williams, Madison Keys, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe. The Atlanta Cup followed on December 6, with hometown star Ben Shelton hosting Kyrgios, Sabalenka and Osaka on court before the group headed north to meet up with Paul in New York.

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Across the Hudson, New Jersey hosted A Racquet on the Rock with Carlos Alcaraz, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula and Tiafoe on Sunday evening. The Miami Invitational, also on Monday, will feature Alcaraz facing Brazil’s Joao Fonseca for the first time.

But for now, all eyes are on MSG. And for Paul, this trip to the Garden was a bit surreal. “Today was the first time I ever went (to Madison Square Garden) for any sort of event. I was on the floor for a Knicks game. I feel like that’s pretty cool!” He’s most excited about the atmosphere. “The thing about New York, I feel like the fans bring a different kind of energy already, so you can just feed off them. Whatever energy they give you, you can just give it right back.”

Osaka is embracing that spirit too. “I just hope that everyone will be very entertained! The vibe that I want to bring is just a lot of fun,” she tells Tennis.com.

For basketball fan Kyrgios, the connection to MSG runs deep—and not always through tennis. “I love every time the Celtics come to Madison Square Garden and beat the Knicks… My favorite moment MSG moment was when Paul Pierce hit a game winner over Amar’e Stoudemire. Honestly, my favorite moment.”

He’s competed at the Garden before, back in 2017, and the history still hits him every time. “It’s just a powerful arena, you know. You think about all the banners up there and everything historically that’s happened in that arena. It’s very special.”

And as for the electrifying New York crowd? He’s ready to lean in. “I’m bringing that villain energy,” he grins. “I think Tommy obviously is going to be the favorite… But just being able to go out there and share the court with some of the most iconic tennis players—like Aryna, Naomi and Tommy—is very special. Obviously, the last couple of years for me has been pretty rocky, injury-wise, so I’m not going to take this moment for granted.”

The Garden Cup is taking over New York on Monday, December 8—live from Madison Square Garden and streaming on Tennis Channel. With this many stars and this much personality packed into one night, the city might just get the loudest tennis show of the year.