The Desert Smash prides itself in being the most popular and widely recognized charity tennis event and will commemorate its 20th anniversary this year.
For the past 19 years, the event has assembled some of the iconic names in Hollywood and Music to compete with tennis pros for a good cause. ATP stars like Novak Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, and Alexander Zverev have participated in the exhibition before.
WTA Grand Slam winners Victoria Azarenka and Emma Raducanu are also considered Desert Smash Tennis alumni. The 2024 edition will be one of a kind because it is not only a tennis event that has been scheduled but also a pickleball event.
The event will run for two days between March 4th and 5th at The La Quinta Resort & Club, which is a luxury hotel in Palm Springs. It is situated only three miles from the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the home of the first Masters 1000 tournament of 2024.
So, players who will be part of the 2024 Desert Smash don't need to worry about the effects of jetlag and traveling, as they will seamlessly make it back to compete in the Indian Wells tournament that begins on March 6th.
This year, the Desert Smash will begin on Monday, March 4th, with the inaugural Desert Smash Celebrity Pickleball Challenge with Colton Underwood, Wes Burrows (professional pickleball player and coach), Sam Querrey, and JJ Wolf among those confirmed to partake.
On Tuesday, March 5th, the 20th Annual Desert Smash will be headlined by tennis pros such as Casper Ruud, Donna Vekic, Victoria Azarenka, Alycia Parks, Stan Wawrinka, and perhaps, surprisingly, Nick Kyrgios - who hasn't played a match since last June.
Award-winning actress and philanthropist Charlize Theron is the host for this year's event, and the proceeds from the two days will be channeled to her non-profit organization, the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project.