"Cashed the check then said f*%k pickleball": Maria Sharapova crediting Andre Agassi & Steffi Graf for her Pickleball Slam 2 participation amuses fans

Maria Sharapova crediting Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf for her participation in Pickleball Slam 2 has sparked hilarious reactions from tennis fans.

Sharapova joined forces with John McEnroe to take on Agassi and Graf in the second edition of the Pickleball Slam, battling it out for a $1 million purse. The event kicked off with Agassi and Jack Sock claiming an 11-7, 9-11, 11-8 win over McEnroe and James Blake, taking a 1-0 lead in the contest.

Graf and Sock continued the team's dominance in the second match, defeating Sharapova and Blake 9-11, 11-8, 17-15 to extend their lead to 2-0. Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf then completed a 4-0 sweep, triumphing 11-7, 13-11 in the blockbuster showdown against Maria Sharapova and John McEnroe.

Following the clash, Sharapova posed for pictures with Agassi and Graf, humorously declaring that they were the only pair capable of persuading her to set foot on a pickleball court.

"The only duo that could get me on the pickleball court," she posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Tennis fans couldn't contain their amusement at the five-time Grand Slam champion's statement, with one fan joking that the Russian collected her check from the event and promptly dismissed the sport of pickleball.

"Cashed the check then said "f*%k pickleball,"" the fan posted.

Another fan quipped that Maria Sharapova's remark indicated that her "hate" for the sport had only increased after Pickleball Slam 2.

"This is so "I hate Pickleball even more now" coded," the fan commented.

Here are a few more reactions from fans:

Maria Sharapova: "The main reason I wanted to participate in Pickleball Slam 2 was to play against Steffi Graf"

Maria Sharapova

Ahead of Pickleball Slam 2, Maria Sharapova revealed that her primary motivation for taking part in the event was the prospect of competing against Steffi Graf, whom she greatly admired.

"The main reason I wanted to participate in this event was to play against Steffi Graf, who I admired for so many years," Sharapova said.

The Russian never had the opportunity to face Graf during her tennis career, as the German retired from professional tennis in 1999, well before Sharapova made her debut on the WTA tour in 2003.

Sharapova also expressed her excitement at partnering with John McEnroe to take on Graf and Andre Agassi at the event, especially given the current widespread popularity of pickleball.

"It’ll be great to compete against (Graf) and Andre with John—all of us playing this sport that’s having such a moment. I’ve been practicing a bunch, so we’ll see. But I think John and I are going to be a formidable team," she said.