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Tennis Great Andre Agassi Embarks On New Sports Adventure
Andre Agassi, the former tennis great who etched his name in the history of the sport, has decided to try his hand in some other kinds of racket. The former world number one is set to make his professional debut in the fast-growing sport of pickleball.
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Andre Agassi, the former tennis great who etched his name in the history of the sport, has decided to try his hand in some other kinds of racket. The former world number one is set to make his professional debut in the fast-growing sport of pickleball.
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Andre Agassi’s new found love
Agassi will accompany top ranked Anna Leigh Waters for the mixed doubles at the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships. Waters, 18, is the Professional Pickleball Association’s top-ranked player in the world for singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
“She’s probably sick of winning so much, and that’s why she called me and asked me to play,” Agassi said.
The tournament kicks off on Saturday in Naples, Florida. Agassi and Waters will play their debut match on April 30 at noon ET.
The U.S. Open Pickleball Championships was founded in 2016 and pulls crowds as large as 50,000 fans each year.
Andre Agassi, the eight-time Grand Slam champion is ready to shine in the new sport but he has no intent to join the growing ranks of pro pickeball players at the Major League Pickleball or the PPA Tour anytime soon.
“If I had the luxury of bandwidth to focus all my energy on just playing and body recovery and all that stuff, that would be a joy. But I don’t. I’m in a different season now,” he said.
The idea to play together came from 18-year-old Waters, who was looking for a mixed partner for the biggest pickleball tournament of the year. Waters, who earned more than $3 million playing pickleball in 2024, according to Forbes, has emerged as one of the sport’s biggest and most marketable stars.
Waters said she scouted Andre Agassi ahead of time, watching videos of him playing pickleball on YouTube.
“We both tend to err on the aggressive side, and I think that works,” she said.
“Andre’s goals are to grow the sport of pickleball, and that’s a huge goal of mine. I thought if we partnered together, this would be a really awesome way to grow the sport.”
Andre Agassi has toured the world to help promote the sport. He also serves as the inaugural chair of Life Time’s pickleball and tennis board.
Also Read: Pickleball Becomes Sour For US Tennis
About Pickleball
Pickleball was invented in 1965 by a group of American friends and is rapidly growing as a popular sport. It is a fast-paced paddle sport similar to tennis and badminton played on smaller courts using a perforated plastic ball.
Its popularity skyrocketed since the Covid-19 pandemic and today is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., growing 311% over the past three years, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.
Pickleball players promises more money than Women’s National Basketball Association and National Women’s Soccer League players as the sport has attracted major sponsors, media deals and ad dollars.
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