Serving Community, Tennis Style: Stars Gathered for the Annual Desert Smash Dinner Party
Sleek, exhilarating, and memorable: tennis matches often resemble the ideal night out. Every year, the Desert Smash dinner party unifies the two in star-studded fashion—and that’s not simply due to the lack of light pollution in the Coachella Valley. Gesturing to the well-dressed guests in his midst, founder Ryan Macaulay told Vogue, “Entertainment loves sport and sport loves entertainment.”
Fueled by Macaulay’s passion over the last 22 years, the celebrity-attended charity event has rallied—and occasionally aced—together those who usually bring their skills to the mediums of entertainment and philanthropy, all for a good cause. This year, Desert Smash raised funds for the USTA Foundation, which runs youth programs in under-resourced communities across the country.
Ahead of the tournament, the tennis whites were put on hold as everyone mingled on the grounds of Zenyara for an evening of introductions. Owned by real estate mogul Michael Scott, the 70-acre private estate captures the mystique and expanse of the terrain. Putting a whole new meaning to the term “sandbar,” guests in heels, loafers, and—wisely—flat sandals navigated their way across powdery granules to the bartenders to order cocktails like The Green Heat–a Dobel Tequila concoction swung with fruity Midori and hit with spicy Ancho Reyes.
Mirroring the rapid speed of back-and-forth between rackets, conversation remained energetic between those dressed in Carolina Herrera, Christopher Esber, and Trina Turk. Actress Lily Collins posed between Italian champs Lorenzo Musetti and Matteo Berrettini and chatted animatedly with all-stars Naomi Osaka and Elena Rybakina. Meanwhile, the strategic use of warm lighting and fire pits refracted from the lagoon as actors Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, and Eric McCormack shared a laugh while enjoying Japanese-Italian fusion dishes, such as unagi gnocchi and banana olive oil cake complete with Nutella and matcha milk jam.
Through a partnership with HexClad, chefs Robbie Felice and Masaharu Morimoto of Iron Chef fame, held up tuna hand-rolls like trophies. Guests cheered and snapped photos of the night’s biggest star: the 180-pound bluefin tuna that contributed both a spectacle through its preparation and an appetizer easy to manage with a French tip.
As land and sea met, Collins, in her Jude mules, weaved her way through the party with husband Charlie McDowell in tow. Radiant in Cartier jewels and a Dries Van Noten dress, her look was reminiscent of a certain Givenchy little black dress. Fitting, give it was announced last week that Collins will soon play Audrey Hepburn in a film surrounding the making of the 1961 classic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Inhabiting Hepburn brings Collins such joy—as does the cause of Desert Smash. Collins told Vogue: “There’s an undeniable energy in seeing everyone here come together to celebrate our love of the game while rallying around a bigger purpose. The fact that the event benefits incredible charities—including the GO Campaign, which supports grassroots initiatives delivering education, healthcare, and essential resources to vulnerable children worldwide—makes every moment, both on and off the court, that much more meaningful.”
By the time the plates cleared, the evening had raised nearly $1 million for the USTA Foundation. Reflecting on the greater teachings of tennis, CEO Ginny Ehrlich added, “When you think about the game of tennis, every point is a reset; always having to be ready. That’s what life is like. We all have to use that grit and resilience to get to the next point of life.”
Photo by: Shutterstock1/10Charlie McDowell, Lily Collins, Ryan Macaulay
Photo by: Shutterstock2/10Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Naomi Osaka
