As the world fights against threats of Coronavirus, people around the world have come together to raise funds for the frontline workers that are fighting against this invisible threat tirelessly. With several real-life events and tournaments being canceled several sports stars and celebrities are coming together to raise confidence among their fans and ask for donations through various online sports events.
In a similar fashion, Facebook Gaming has launched a Mario Tennis Aces tournament called the “Stay at Home Slam”. The aim of the tournament is to offer a fun alternative to these professional sports that have gone missing due to the pandemic and also to raise awareness about staying home to stop the spread of the virus.
Top tennis players including Williams sister Serena and Venus, Maria Sharapova, and current No.1 female Tennis player Naomi Osaka, will be competing in the tournament this weekend. The tournament will be played in doubles format with each professional player being paired with other celebrities and athletes such as Karlie Kloss, Steve Aoki, and Gigi Hadid.
The full lineup of the team is as follows:
- 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
Unlike other tournaments that are played on real simulated and licensed sports titles, Mario Tennis Aces is different. These stars will play as Mario characters and deal with flaming rackets and trick shots that let players bounce, slide, and teleport to the ball. With various nifty tricks and Overpowered skills, these Tennis stars won’t be able to leverage their skills and experience from the real court. This will provide an equal field to other nonprofessional celebrities and make the games interesting for viewers.
A prize of $1 million will be donated to a charity of the winner’s choosing. The tournament will stream on Facebook Gaming starting Sunday, May 3rd at 4 PM ET. Facebook has been building out its gaming features during the pandemic and just last week they also launched the official Facebook Gaming app.
