The Williams sisters will join the likes of Maria Sharapova and celebs such as Gigi Hadid to battle online for charity on the Nintendo Switch in the first ever Mario Tennis Aces Tournament.
Coronavirus may have stopped competitive sport for some time, but it can’t get in the way of sibling rivalry. Sunday May 3rd will see the first Mario Tennis Aces Tournament take place online as eight of the world’s top tennis pros and celebs grab their Nintendo Switch controllers and take place in an event titled the 'Stay at Home Slam'.
Venus and Serena Williams will both be competing, along with recently-retired Maria Sharapova, Naomi Osaka, Kei Nishikoria and celebrities including Hailey Bieber and Gigi Hadid - with $25,000 each donated to a charity of their choosing. The winner of the event overall will also receive an additional $1 million donation.
Also on rt.com ‘Without Sharapova and Williams, women’s tennis is unsellable’: Marat Safin on Federer’s plans to unite ATP and WTAOrganized by IMG, the Mario Tennis Aces tournament will be broadcast live on Facebook on May 3 at 4pm Eastern Time and will feature commentary by racket-smashing tennis legend John McEnroe and YouTube star iJustine.
The doubles partners scheduled to pair up to do battle in the “Mushroom Kingdom” are:
Serena Williams & Gigi Hadid
Naomi Osaka & Hailey Bieber
Venus Williams & JuJu Smith-Schuster
Maria Sharapova & Karlie Kloss
Kei Nishikori & Steve Aoki
Madison Keys & Seal
Taylor Fritz & Addison Rae
Kevin Anderson & Ryan Tannehill
For Sharapova, who retired from the sport earlier this year as a five-time Grand Slam winner, it could be one last chance to avenge a run of 19 straight defeats against American legend Serena - even if in virtual form.