Andre Agassi, a former tennis legend who won two U.S. Open titles, is stepping onto the court once again—but this time, in the world of pickleball. Agassi, who retired from professional tennis in 2006 after playing his final match at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, will team up with teenager Anna Leigh Waters in the mixed pro division at the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships next week in Naples, Florida.
The 55-year-old Agassi has previously participated in exhibition pickleball events with other ex-tennis professionals and has promoted pickleball equipment on social media. However, this marks his debut in professional pickleball competition.
Agassi, a two-time U.S. Open tennis champion (1994 and 1999), completed a career Grand Slam in tennis, winning each of the sport’s major titles. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2011.
In addition to his pickleball venture, Agassi will also serve as a studio analyst for TNT Sports during the semifinals and finals of this year’s French Open.
Pickleball, a rapidly growing sport, combines elements of tennis and ping pong, played with paddles and a wiffleball. It has exploded in popularity in recent years, with over 13 million players in the U.S. alone.
