Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka to Headline a Celebrity Tennis Tournament

Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams, and many other professional tennis players are set to swap their racquets for gaming controllers. These tennis stars will pair up with other celebrities to compete in a live-streamed Mario Tennis Aces doubles tournament this weekend. 

The virtual tennis tournament named “Stay at Home Slam” will be played on Nintendo Switch. Facebook gaming will be streaming the tournament on Sunday, May 3 at 4:00 pm ET.

Serena Williams to partner with Gigi Hadid for the virtual tennis tournament

The participants will play as Mario characters with features like flaming racquets and trick shots. The players will also be able to bounce, slide, and teleport to the ball. Moreover, winners of the virtual event will receive $1m to donate to the charity of their choice. On the other hand, the other competitors will receive $25,000 each to donate to a charity.

The full lineup of players includes:

Serena Williams & Gigi Hadid

Naomi Osaka & Hailey Bieber

Venus Williams & Deandre Hopkins

Maria Sharapova & Karlie Kloss

Kei Nishikori & Steve Aoki

Madison Keys & Seal

Taylor Fritz & Addison Rae

Kevin Anderson & Ryan Tannehill

John McEnroe and popular Youtuber Justin Ezarik will be commentating during the matches to add some fun in the virtual competition. 

Read More: “We Don’t Really Discuss Tennis Things” – Sloane Stephens On Serena Williams

The outbreak of coronavirus has brought all the professional sports leagues across the world to a standstill. Consequently, eSports has surged in popularity as it has become an easy replacement for the sporting fraternity during the global crisis.

Earlier, the NBA, MLS, and Premier League players participated in eSports tournaments for their respective sports. Some tennis players also took part in the virtual Madrid Open, played on PS4. However, it will be interesting to see how the other players perform in the digital field.