Two Time Major Champion and Former World No. 1 added to Charity Lineup
Rancho Mirage, CA (February 27, 2019) – Former world no. 1 and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka has been confirmed for Cliff Drysdale Management's 5th annual Tennis With The Stars presented by the BNP Paribas Open on March 5, 2019. Hosted at Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa, the charity event will benefit local non-profit Desert Arc and national non-profit ACEing Autism.
Currently ranked no. 49 in the world, Azarenka has enjoyed an incredibly successful pro career that has spanned over 13 years. She has reached the semifinals or better at each of the four majors, including two victories(Australian Open) and two runner up finishes(U.S. Open). She was won 20 career WTA titles, including two at the BNP Paribas Open, and amassed nearly $30 Million in prize money.
"Victoria is not only an incredible player, but also has a great personality that fans love interacting with, which is what Tennis With The Stars is all about,” said Scott Colebourne, Chief Operations Officer for Cliff Drysdale Tennis. “Our event allows the public to see another side of these fierce competitors. Vika is one of the most recognizable and accomplished players in the world, and we’re excited to have her join our cast of star players.”
The 5th Annual Tennis With The Stars presented by the BNP Paribas Open features top ATP and WTA stars competing with and against amateur players, hosted at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa. Azarenka will play alongside Frances Tiafoe, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Genie Bouchard.
For tickets and event details, please visit: www.tenniswithstars.com
To purchase tickets to the BNP Paribas Open, visit: www.bnpparibasopen.com
For event and sponsorship information, contact Kimberly Arena at k.arena@cliffdrysdale.com
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About the BNP Paribas Open
The BNP Paribas Open is the largest ATP World Tour and WTA combined two-week event in the world, and is held annually at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The tournament offers more than $14 million in prize money, and is the only event to provide the Hawkeye line challenge system on all match courts, including qualifying rounds. For more information, visit www.bnpparibasopen.com.
About Desert Arc
Desert Arc, since 1959, has been serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the community by enhancing their quality of life and creating opportunities. This vital nonprofit organization has created a wide range of programs for its 700 participants including onsite vocational training, work teams, sports and recreation, volunteering in the community or individual placements with job coaching services at community business sites. The Desert Arc crews provide many business services to their community Business Partners, thus generating a variety of employment opportunities for the people it serves. Desert Arc’s main headquarters are located on Country Club Drive in Palm Desert, consisting of three buildings totaling 50,000 square feet of space. In addition, Desert Arc has a Recycling and Shredding Division in Indio, as well as, a satellite facility in Yucca Valley. A robust transportation system provides the people it serves with the means to get to and from home to work sites and volunteer opportunities daily.
For more information regarding Desert Arc, phone (760) 346-1611 or visit www.desertarc.org
About ACEing Autism
ACEing Autism was founded in the summer of 2008 by Richard Spurling & Dr. Shafali Jeste in Boston, MA. as a family run organization with the invaluable efforts of its volunteers & supporters. They launched their first program at The Longfellow Club, Wayland (MA) with 15 children. In the spring of 2009 we added a second location, The Weymouth Club in Weymouth (MA). Richard quickly realized that he could greatly enhance the lives of children and families with autism through tennis, and he made a commitment to dedicate his career to the development and expansion of ACEing Autism.
In early 2010, Shafali was recruited to the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment, a center that has been a leader in the field of autism research for decades. . ACEing Autism currently services more than 1000 children with autism across 50+ locations nationwide.
ACEing Autism's success lies in their commitment to tailoring the program to the needs of each individual child with autism. In 2013 Richard was honored with the USPTR’s Humanitarian of Year Award for his work building this program and in August 2014 ACEing Autism was given the USTA’s Community Service Award. For more information, visit www.aceingautism.org