Williams Sisters Competing on Mario Tennis Aces

Athletes with the Women’s Tennis Association announced they’ll be competing in a virtual tournament. This new setting follows after the COVID-19 pandemic has terrorized the global population. Confirmed athletes for this venue includes Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, and Maria Sharapova. They’ll compete against celebrity personalities like Steve Aoki, Gigi Hadid, and Karlie Kloss. Pairings will compete on Mario Tennis Aces, a video game for the Nintendo Switch. It’ll be streamed through Facebook Gaming and be named “The Stay at Home Slam”, showing the athletes commitment towards social distancing.

Professional sporting venues worldwide have been terminated or postponed during the novel coronavirus. It’s prompted a significant increase in popularity for eSport Competitions, with professional athletes becoming formidable gamers. Sporting associations like the National Basketball Association, Premier League, Major League Soccer, Formula One, and MotoGP have implemented similar measures. These virtual venues are meant to replace real-life counterparts until the novel coronavirus is defeated globally.

There’s a substantial difference between the virtual venues being held by the MLS or NBA compared to Mario Tennis Aces. Major League Soccer holds their virtual matches through the FIFA20 video game on the PS4 Pro. It supports realistic gameplay and graphics that mimic regular competitions. Mario Tennis Aces is a cartoon-styled title meant for children, with characters nowhere resembling the athletes competing. Rackets aren’t realistic, and neither is the gameplay, involving supporters of international tennis shouldn’t take these pairings seriously. It’s more meant to generate funds for charity than to replace real-life tennis. Whoever wins this pairings contest can select a Non-Profit Charity of their choice, with a donation prize of $1 Million.

Who’s Battling Who

The pairings for this unconventional tournament were released. It’s a combination of WTA Athletes and Celebrity Personalities. Serena Williams will compete against Gigi Hadid, with Naomi Osaka battling it out with Hailey Bieber. The Serena Sisters will battle each other, with Venus taking an additional match against Deandre Hopkins. Steve Aoki is making an appearance, where he’ll serve against Kei Nishikori. Maria Sharapova is entering this competing in defence against Karlie Kloss. The infamous singer Seal is challenging Madison Keys in this Mario Aces competition, with Taylor Fritz and Addison Rae also competing against one another. The final matchup for this tournament is Kevin Anderson and Ryan Tannehill, which will be one of the most-watched of this venue.

The WTA will accept additional donations during this tournament. All donations will be provided to relief funds throughout North America and the European Union. This marks the 1st instance that the Women’s Tennis Association has tried generating funds for COVID-19 relief. Those wanting to help can witness these matches on May 3rd on Facebook Gaming at 4 PM ET.

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