Serena Williams & Maria Sharapova Battle This Weekend in Mario Tennis Aces

Tennis stars and entertainers are finding ways to stay active during the pandemic. | Source: Jimmie48 Photography / Shutterstock.com

• The world’s most talented tennis players and best-known celebrities will be going head to head in a Mario Tennis Aces tournament.
• Stars like Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, and Gigi Hadid will be competing for a $1 million prize.
• The charity event is one of several celebrity streams using video games to raise money.

Facebook and sports management group International Management Group (IMG) has announced the “Stay at Home Slam.” The event, which takes place on May 3 at 4 PM ET, brings together celebrities and top tennis players for a charity Mario Tennis Aces tournament. It will be streamed live on the Facebook Gaming page.

Facebook’s Stay at Home Slam Lineup

There will be eight pairs. These are

• Serena Williams and Gigi Hadid
• Naomi Osaka and Hailey Bieber
• Venus Williams and DeAndre Hopkins
• Maria Sharapova and Karlie Kloss
• Kei Nishikori and Steve Aoki
• Madison Keys and Seal
• Taylor Fritz and Addison Rae
• Kevin Anderson and Ryan Tannehill

Each celebrity will have $25,000 donated to a charity of their choice while the winner gets an additional $1 million donation. Many of the stars on that list have substantial net worths, and it’s unclear why they couldn’t have donated without the Stay at Home Slam event. However, such is the nature of the PR machine.

For fans, this is a great way to enjoy some sort of sports tournament as other live sports leagues have been suspended because of COVID-19. Tennis fans will also enjoy getting to see players like Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova duke it out as their rivalry, which Williams dominated 20 to 3, was one of the best in the sport.

Sharapova may have the edge though, as the five-time Grand Slam winner retired in February. She’s had much more time to brush up on her Mario Tennis Aces skills.

Facebook Gaming Tries to Take On Twitch

It’s also a big win for Facebook. The site has been trying to compete with Twitch and has secured exclusive streaming deals with stars like Corinna Kopf and former UFC fighter Ronda Rousey.

Twitch has held its own celebrity gaming tournament, bringing stars like Diplo, Joe Jonas, and Aly Raisman to the site for Stream Aid 2020. Sports organizations have also used Twitch to stream tournaments and events. Facebook Gaming’s lineup is much smaller in comparison, but together, it is likely much more famous, suggesting that this won’t just benefit charity organizations.