Drew Brees, John McEnroe to compete in celebrity match at NOLA Pickle Fest

NEW ORLEANS (NOLA WEEKEND) - Drew Brees and tennis legend John McEnroe will compete in a celebrity exhibition pickleball match at NOLA Pickle Fest.

The NOLA Pickle Fest is the first-ever “unique, festival-style pickleball tournament” benefiting the Brees Dream Foundation at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center from Aug. 10 to Aug. 13.

Organizers announced the celebrity match between Brees and McEnroe will take place center court on Aug. 12.

“Brittany and I are very excited for the NOLA, and thankful that John McEnroe and b1BANK are helping us in our ongoing efforts to help those in need in throughout Gulf Coast,” Brees said in a release.

Former number one tennis player in the world and current television commentator, McEnroe holds seventeen Grand Slam titles including seven singles, nine men’s doubles and one in mixed doubles. Known just as well for his dominant personality as his superb performance on the court, he is considered by many as one of the greatest players in the game’s history.

In addition to the celebrity exhibition match, the NOLA Pickle Fest features 25 tournament-quality PickleRoll courts, live music and VIP experiences. The tournament will have three divisions of round-robin play: women’s doubles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles for skill levels 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0+.

There are two brackets to compete in: Open and 40 yrs. old and over. Featured matches will be played on a center court with grandstand seating as well as Kern Studio Mardi Gras floats for VIP viewing.

Registration for the tournament is open now. To register to play, visit www.drewbrees.com. To volunteer, visit www.gnosports.com/volunteer.