Andy Roddick 'concerned' about facing Steffi Graf in Pickleball Slam 3 despite sending warning to Andre Agassi

Andy Roddick expressed his "concerns" about facing the legendary Steffi Graf during the Pickleball Slam 3, despite sending a warning to her husband, Andre Agassi. The former US Open champion will partner with Eugenie Bouchard to take on the power couple.

The event will take place on February 16, 2025, at the Michelob Ultra Arena in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. It boasts a prize purse of $1 million and will be televised on ESPN at 4 PM ET.

Roddick and Agassi first teamed up for the inaugural edition in 2023, where they defeated John McEnroe and Michael Chang to secure the win. This year, the eight-time Grand Slam champion partnered with Graf, and together they triumphed over Maria Sharapova and McEnroe to claim the title once again.

Andre Agassi is excited to return in 2025 to defend his title alongside Steffi Graf in his hometown and playfully expressed that he felt "sorry" for Andy Roddick and Eugenie Bouchard.

"I can’t wait to return with Steffi and defend our title in February at Slam 3," he said in a statement. "It’s an incredible opportunity to play in my hometown of Las Vegas, where the stakes are high, and the energy is electric. In this city, the odds are always in our favor, and I almost feel a little sorry for Andy and Genie."

Roddick reacted to Agassi's comments on X (formerly Twitter), humorously asserting that he was the one who carried the latter to victory in the inaugural event. He also issued a lighthearted warning to Agassi.

"@AndreAgassi has forgotten that I completely carried him to the first @pickleballslam win. He won’t have that luxury this time around," he wrote.

However, despite the warning, the 42-year-old revealed that his real "concern" was Steffi Graf, whom he called a "force to be reckoned with."

"For Slam 3, I’m actually more concerned about Steffi—she's a force to be reckoned with! Genie and I are ready to defy the odds. After all, this is Las Vegas, a city that knows a thing or two about unexpected upsets," Andy Roddick said in a statement.

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Andy Roddick: "I have a hard time being in Steffi Graf's presence without being incredibly starstruck"

Steffi Graf | Image Source: Getty

Although Andre Agassi has long been Andy Roddick's "idol," the latter revealed in his 'Served with Andy Roddick' podcast in February this year that he still gets "incredibly starstruck" in the presence of Steffi Graf.

"I've known Andre and he's been my idol for a long time but I have a hard time being in Steff's presence without being like incredibly starstruck," Roddick said (at 7:05).

The former US Open champion added:

"Which, in the tennis world, at this moment in my life, not too sound jaded, I don't get that way around many people in our orbit anymore, having lived this life for a little while."

Graf is an undisputed legend of the sport, with 22 Grand Slam titles to her name. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest female tennis players of all time, alongside Serena Williams and others.

The German also holds the unique distinction of being the only player to achieve the elusive 'Golden Slam'—winning all four Majors and the Olympic gold in the same calendar year.