Tennis returns to MSG after six years with the Garden Cup

The world’s greatest sporting arena Madison Square Garden, hosted a men’s and women’s exhibition presented by Legends Team Cup. Each match consisted of three sets, the decider if needed, a 7-point tiebreak. To speed up proceedings, no-ad scoring was utilized, with the receiver choosing where to receive.

The Garden Cup, to the delight of the sold-out crowd, runneth over with power, variety, and frivolity. The women’s match featured two top-ten American stars: Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro.

Pegula ranked #7 and from Buffalo, New York had a stellar season defending her title at the WTA 1000 event in Toronto and reaching her first grand slam final at the US Open. Emma Navarro a native New Yorker, won her first career title in Hobart at the start of the season and cracked the top-ten at #8 following her remarkable run to the US Open semis. They met once on Tour at the Miami Open which Pegula won in straights.

Navarro won the toss and elected to serve. She faced triple break point and dumped serve following three unforced errors. Pegula made 4/7 first serves but gave back the break with a netted volley.

Al Bello / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Navarro crushed an ace out wide and ripped a backhand down the line to get on the board while Pegula missed 3/4 first serves to drop serve. Navarro faced break point with a netted forehand and dropped serve with another.

Pegula made 2/4 first serves and consolidated the break at love for 3-3. Navarro was near flawless on defense and it paid dividends as she held for 4-3 following deuce.

Pegula serving with new balls struck her first ace and held at love for parity while Navarro hit two winners including her second ace for a love hold. Pegula made it a trifecta with three consecutive winners and another love hold for 5-5.

A tiebreak appeared imminent as Navarro stepped to the line. Although she pummeled a forehand down the line, she dropped serve with her first double fault. Pegula served for the setup 6-5 but gave back the break with three costly errant forehands.

The crowd was all in as Navarro served first in the breaker. Navarro led 4-2 when they changed ends and reached set point at 6-4 but Pegula refused to capitulate. She leveled at 6-6 with a fantastic forehand down the line but two errors off that side cost her the set.

Pegula served first in the second and though she faced break point, employed the slice backhand, and drop shot to secure the game. Navarro hit two winners including another ace but dropped serve when she netted a forehand.

Pegula opened the third with a crisp crosscourt backhand but three unforced errors including a double fault cost her the game. Navarro serving with new balls opened with a backhand drop shot and consolidated the break with a stunning forehand down the line for 2-2.

As both continued to hit with abandon, Pegula struck two winning volleys but it was all for naught as she dumped serve following two outstanding winners from her opponent.

Navarro opened the sixth with a blistering backhand down-the-line pass and held easily to 15 to consolidate the break while Pegula made 3/5 first serves and held to 15 for 3-4. Navarro playing a high-risk game, cushioned her lead with a magnificent running forehand down the line pass.

Pegula serving to stay in the match faced 0-30 but battled and held for 4-5. Navarro served for the match but faced triple break point and dumped serve when Pegula ripped the return down the line.

Pegula faced 0-40 as the errors continued to accrue and gave back the break when Navarro smashed an overhead. The Charleston, SC resident once again served for the match, and this time with new balls. She quickly reached triple match point but dropped the next two points before clinching the game, set and match 7-5.

It was a highly entertaining and enthralling match between two of the WTA tour’s elite ball strikers and movers. While there was some on-court banter and beaming smiles peppered throughout this exhibition, the women played with a sense of urgency and a desire to win.

The men, however, took it to another level and I am not convinced the capacity crowd was fully on board. While reasonably priced tickets were available, many paid several thousand dollars to watch world #3 Carlos Alcaraz battle the American southpaw, Ben Shelton.

Alcaraz at just twenty-one years of age and currently ranked #3, already attained the number one ranking and won four grand slams. Shelton one year older, is the 2022 NCAA champion and world #21. In 2023 he reached the semis at the US Open, won his first career title in Tokyo, and his second this past spring in Houston. Alcaraz prevailed in both tour-level meetings – both on hard courts.

Shelton served first and held at love while Alcaraz held to 30 to level. The American hit an ace up the tee and held easily to 15 while the Spaniard gifted two unforced errors including a double fault to dump serve.

Shelton opened with two consecutive forehand errors and despite facing deuce, consolidated the break for 3-1. Alcaraz soaking up the energy from the impassioned crowd hit his first ace and held easily to 15 for 2-4. Shelton donated two consecutive errors, three in total, and dumped serve after Alcaraz knifed a winning backhand volley.

The reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion crushed a forehand down the line and held at love to consolidate the break. Shelton hit two additional winners including another ace to lead 5-4. Alcaraz serving to stay in the set, opened with a double fault and conceded it following two consecutive netted backhands.

Shelton had momentum and fewer unforced errors. It appeared that the American would sweep in straights. The former world #1 however, had other ideas. Shelton served first in the second and with a well-struck tweener and inside-in forehand,  held to 30.

Alcaraz held to 30 to level despite donating another double fault. The American upped the ante with two consecutive winners and a love hold. Alcaraz struck another ace and with a monster serve up the tee, leveled at 2-2.

The fifth game commenced with a spectacular cat-and-mouse exchange with another tweener and volley winner. Seemingly out of nowhere, a “fan” stepped on court on Shelton’s side and “played” the next point! Soon thereafter, the American gifted a double fault and dumped serve.

Alcaraz made 3/4 first serves and consolidated the break at love. Shelton despite facing a break point, got back to business with four extraordinary winners including a running crosscourt backhand on game point. Alcaraz made 6/6 first serves and sealed the set 6-2 when Shelton netted a forehand.

A seven-point tiebreak would decide the match. Shelton hit an ace out wide to level at 2-2 but Alcaraz won the next three points. The shenanigans continued as two “fans” took to the court and “played” a point. Why the point was awarded to Alcaraz is up for debate. The Spaniard would go on to win the breaker 7-4 when Shelton overcooked the forehand return.  

While there were a plethora of jaw-dropping points, stupendous court coverage, and sublime shot-making, I am not a fan of fan antics! If that is your cup of tea then promote it as a pro-am or charity event.

People pay top dollar for exhibition matches and the city was hungry for this double-bill showdown. Diehard tennis devotees have waited years to watch professional tennis at the Garden. If I had paid thousands of dollars for this event, I don’t think I would be thrilled with “fans” taking the court to “hit” balls. There is a time and place for that – this, however, wasn’t it.