Andre Agassi: Pickleball is where tennis players go to die

Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick beat John McEnroe and Michael Chang to win the first-ever edition of the Pickleball Slam on Sunday (April 2).

Just around 10 miles from where Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner were battling it out for the 2023 Miami Open title, four Grand Slam champions were playing pickleball. Agassi, Roddick, McEnroe, and Chang participated in the inaugural edition of the Pickleball Slam at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

The first singles encounter saw McEnroe defeat Agassi 15-13, 16-14, which was followed by 2003 US Open champion Roddick beating Chang (the youngest man in history to win a Grand Slam title) 15-10, 15-10. However, the doubles match was the most important one, where Agassi and Roddick edged out McEnroe and Chang 21-15, 21-23, 12-10.

Eight-time Major winner Agassi, who had his wife Steffi Graf and daughter Jaz supporting him from the stands, expressed his admiration for pickleball. When asked if he would continue playing the sport, the 52-year-old said:

"100% guys. I never thought I was gonna say this, but I am playing this as long as I can walk. I can't wait to get back out there. Pickleball is where tennis players go to die."

In a bid to raise awareness about the promotional event, the four former players had already started light-hearted banter on social media a few days ago. Even while playing yesterday, they were having fun and trying to crack up the spectators.

McEnroe didn't shy away from expressing his true feelings after a call went against him, saying:

"Come on, they're trying to cheat me out of this thing."

In another instance, Agassi was seen playfully taking a dig at McEnroe.

"This guy's always been a pain in the a**, you know?" Andre Agassi said.

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Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf enthrall crowd at Pickleball Slam

Steffi Graf (L) and Andre Agassi

22-time Grand Slam champion Steffi Graf was not just a spectator at the inaugural Pickleball Slam as she replaced John McEnroe for a while to play against her husband Andre Agassi.

Watching the legendary couple exchange a few shots resulted in the loudest of cheers for the night. Their 19-year-old daughter Jaz was also present to support her father.

Pickleball has been on the rise in the last few years. However, there has been strong criticism of the sport from some of the most ardent tennis lovers. Former player Rennae Stubbs once remarked that she would rather watch paint dry than waste her time on pickleball. She recently called out McEnroe and others for promoting pickleball, saying that they were only interested in money and didn't like the sport.