Inside the incredible Alcaraz vs. Tiafoe exhibition in Puerto Rico

May 03, 2025

Puerto Rico has a rich history of hosting world-class tennis. For instance, in 1968, the USA defeated India in the Davis Cup Interzone final held at the iconic beachfront paradise and birthplace of the Pina Colada at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The legendary team of Bob Lutz and Stan Smith provided a critical win against the Indian team of Ramanathan Krishnan and Jaidip Mukerjea with the final score of 6-2, 6-3, and 6-2, respectively. When all was “set and done,” the USA triumphed over India with a score of 4 to 1.

Above: A look back at the 1968 Davis Cup press conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Photo courtesy of John Regis.

In 1971, Stan Smith obtained the prestigious title of the “Caribe Hilton Invitational” in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Stan Smith was the World No. 1 player, who defeated Cliff Richey with a score of 6-3, 6-3 in the Championship match. Furthermore, Puerto Rico hosted the Hall of Famers Boris Becker (2002) and Mats Wilander (2005). All of these events served as a precursor for the Carlos Alcaraz versus Frances Tiafoe memorable exhibition match held on March 2, 2025, at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot.

This exhibition game is part of a series of world-class events brought to Puerto Rico by local leading promotion company VRDG Entertainment, a subsidiary of the investment group, Grupo VRDG. Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig is part of the team as a Senior Advisor and host to this grand event. The VRDG firm is led by its fearless and visionary leader Julio Cabral, who inspires his team to a forward-thinking approach to event planning. During the Alcaraz vs. Tiafoe press conference, CEO Julio Cabral went into detail about the positive impact of the event on Puerto Rico’s economy. The showdown, dubbed the “Battle of Legends,” had an impressive over three-million-dollar production budget with an estimated two thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine hotel rooms reserved and one million dollars added to the public coffers. The event was able to have a $6,065,680.00 economic impact using a 1.8x macroeconomic consumption coefficient.

Above (from left to right): Jorge Pérez, Monica Puig, Carlos Alcaraz, and Julio Cabral. Photo courtesy of VRDG Entertainment.

The exhibition inspired international travel to the island and the event was covered by the Tennis Channel and many other media outlets, such as YouTube, WAPA TV, and GFR Media. Over 650 direct and indirect jobs were created in more than a year of preparation. The Tennis Channel is available to 38 million pay television households in the U.S. with an average of 57,000 in weekly viewership.

This exhibition was a massive success due to the exhilarating ambiance and 15,000-person packed house at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico. People witnessed Alcaraz edge out Tiafoe in a thrilling three-set match 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. The Governor of Puerto Rico, Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, declared the first Thursday of March as “Puerto Rican Tennis Day” during the consequential exhibition proceedings. This declaration was intended to celebrate the sport of tennis in Puerto Rico and promote strong youth tennis development programs in conjunction with the USTA.

Alcaraz and Tiafoe enjoyed having the traditional Puerto Rican dish “mofongo” while on the island. Mofongo is a popular Puerto Rican dish made of fried and mashed green plantains that can be stuffed with chicken, beef, or shrimp. It has deep cultural influence from West Africa, Taino Indian, and Spanish cuisine. Both food and sport are powerful tools for bringing people together, fostering social connection and shared experiences.

Florida Tennis Magazine was able to catch up with the Boca Raton resident, Frances Tiafoe, during the events leading up to the tennis exhibition. This author asked Frances, “What prompted your move from the D.C. area to Florida?” Then, Frances responded, “Good question. Anytime you have the ability to work and train with world-class athletes, you have an immense advantage. Florida is the ultimate hub/mecca for world-class athletes.”

The exhibition event was part of a three-day experience that included VIP access to sponsors, dignitary receptions, youth clinics, and special training sessions hosted by Frances Tiafoe. Frances took time out of his schedule to train for over an hour with Nicolas Ruben Alvarez Torres, a college student who had a severe health issue, a collapsed lung, yet was able to persevere and rise to the number one position at his college. Frances stated, “I wanted to provide an unforgettable experience for Nicolas who is a special athlete and human being.” CEO Julio Cabral stated, “In each event we promote, whether in music or sports, we always aspire to integrate the community and our youth. This is a paramount cornerstone of our business philosophy. In partnership with Puerto Rico Tennis Association, we invited Nicolas to hit with Frances, as well as various athletes from the Special Olympics Team to participate in our event.” Nicolas will remember this experience as a highlight in his life. Frances elaborated that he has collaborated in youth events in Dallas, Houston, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Puerto Rico. In his own words, “We do not have the opportunity to play much in the States or U.S. territories, but every time we do, we do something special with it. I take bringing tennis to everyone seriously.”

After the skillful execution of the Alcaraz vs. Tiafoe Puerto Rico exhibition by the VRDG firm, the future is golden for Julio Cabral and his talented team. As a contributing writer, I asked the question, “What does VRDG firm stand for?” CEO Cabral responded, “It is in honor of my father. We are a hardworking, diversified business group with professionals in different industries. In our entertainment subsidiary, we work to offer fans world-class event experiences and memories involving families, sports, and music segments across Latin America, USA, and Europe.”

I would like to highlight and commend all the VRDG team for their attention to detail and kindness as well. We will all be waiting for the next event with great enthusiasm.