The Arthur Ashe Kids Day, a daylong celebration of all things tennis, will feature eight celebrities this year, including Novak Djokovic, women's champion, Kim Clijsters, and crowd favourite, Rafael Nadal.

The festivities will begin on August 27 2011; the eve of the first matches at the US Open. The event should provide an interesting distraction for anyone looking at the US Open tennis final betting.

Named in honour of the late Arthur Ashe, who became the first African American player to win a Grand Slam when he defeated Dutchman Tom Okker at the US Open in 1968, the Arthur Ashe Kids Day is an important part of the build-up to the US Open, alongside the Olympus US Open Series.

The event, described as "summer's biggest hit", gives young people the opportunity to watch their heroes practice on the court, while offering festival staples, such as face-painting, hair-braiding, and juggling lessons, to guests. Perhaps more importantly, visitors will be able to meet their favourite player, and have their oversized tennis balls autographed as a souvenir.

Djokovic, Nadal, and Clijsters will be joined at the Arthur Ashe Kids Day by former US Open champion, Andy Roddick. People will be wondering if Roddick will feature in the 2011 US Open final betting. Cody Simpson, a pop star from Australia, and the unusually named, Quddus, who is a presenter for MTV, will also pay a visit to Flushing Meadows in August.

NBA basketball player, Carmelo Anthony, and his wife, La La Anthony, complete the celebrity line-up for 2011. The 6ft 8in athlete is alleged to be "excited" to honour the "legacy of Ashe", who died in 1993.

Ashe was a three-time Grand Slam champion, winning the Australian Open in 1970, and the Wimbledon Championships in 1975, in addition to his 1968 victory at the US Open. He was a runner-up in the majors on four occasions between 1966 and 1975.