Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and Maria Sharapova are among the tennis stars who will compete in a live-streamed tournament of Mario Tennis Aces.
Top tennis players will partner with celebrities and play as characters from the game on Nintendo Switch, this event will stream on the Facebook Gaming platform.
The pairs competing include Serena Williams and Gigi Hadid, Naomi Osaka and Hailey Bieber, Maria Sharapova and Karlie Kloss, Kevin Anderson and Ryan Tannehill, Venus Williams and Deandre Hopkins, Kei Nishikori and Steve Aoki, Madison Keys and Seal, Taylor Fritz and Addison Rae.
With live sports on hold due to lockdown and social distancing requirements, players and leagues have turned to online gaming as a way to keep fans engaged.
The Premier League, Formula 1 and the National Basketball Association have all hosted e-sports competitions. These competitions, however, have had professionals playing as virtual versions of themselves. In Mario Tennis Aces the athletes and their celebrity partners will compete as game characters.
The biggest names in tennis are grabbing their virtual rackets for the #StayAtHomeSlam, live on Facebook Gaming this Sunday (May 3), in partnership with @IMGTennis.
Watch tennis legends like Venus & Serena Williams compete in Mario Tennis Aces for a $1M charity donation! pic.twitter.com/8tVZD4W3cB
— Facebook Gaming (@FacebookGaming) April 29, 2020
