Andre Agassi Set for Professional Pickleball Debut with Anna Leigh Waters

NAPLES, Fla. — Tennis legend Andre Agassi will make his professional pickleball debut alongside world No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters at the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships on April 30. The tournament, starting April 26, is the most prominent event in the sport and is expected to attract around 50,000 fans.

Agassi, who won eight Grand Slam titles during his tennis career, announced his participation in an interview with CNBC. The 54-year-old former tennis star said he was excited to team up with the 18-year-old Waters, who has already become a major star in the pickleball world.

Waters, who has won an impressive 148 Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) titles and is recognized as the greatest women’s player in the sport’s history, sought out Agassi as a partner for this prestigious tournament. She emphasized the duo’s aggressive playing styles and shared goals of promoting pickleball.

“We both tend to err on the aggressive side, and I think that works,” Waters said. “Andre’s goals are to grow the sport of pickleball, and that’s a huge goal of mine.”

Agassi expressed his enthusiasm for the sport, describing it as social and inclusive. He has been working with Joola, a pickleball equipment manufacturer, to help promote the sport globally. “I’ve caught the pickleball bug and really enjoy the community,” he said.

The U.S. Open Pickleball Championships, established in 2016, features mixed doubles, with Agassi and Waters expected to compete in a division filled with talent. Agassi reminisced about his days in tennis and acknowledged the difference in energy levels required for pickleball. He added humorously, “It was apparent that Anna Leigh was tired of winning, which is why she asked me to play.”

While Agassi has not been a full-time competitor in pickleball, he has participated in various exhibitions with familiar tennis stars like Steffi Graf, his wife. He has enjoyed playing pickleball recreationally and believes it has the potential to be significantly transformative in sports.

As the sport continues to grow, Agassi acknowledged the challenge of transitioning pickleball from a participatory activity to a spectator sport. Nonetheless, he expressed excitement for this new venture and said that the opportunity to compete again is what makes him feel alive.

“When was the last time you did something for the first time?” Agassi added, reflecting on his excitement about the upcoming tournament. “It feels exciting for me to stretch my skin and try something new.”