"Worst seat in the stadium" - Andre Agassi jokes about facing Pete Sampras and Roger Federer, says tennis is more enjoyable from living room

Andre Agassi recently discussed his tennis career and life after it ended, while appearing on the "Pat McAfee Show" to tease his Pickleball Slam match against John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova next year.

Agassi, an eight-time Major winner, remains one of the greatest icons of tennis even to this day. The American received a lot of focus during his prime years, due to his talent and his penchant to waste it.

Although it took Andre Agassi years to figure out what tennis meant to him, the American finally got his act together towards the end of his career. In late commentator Bud Collins' words, he went from "punk to paragon".

In that context, the 53-year-old expressed gratitude towards the game while speaking to sports analyst Pat McAfee. He did joke, however, that he enjoyed the experience of watching and analyzing matches from his living room much more than the prospect of facing either Roger Federer or Pete Sampras — two players that dominated him the most in big matches.

"I can say it's a lot more enjoyable from my living room than it is from the worst seat in the stadium, which was typically against Pete or Roger," he said on the Pat McAfee Show.

Andre Agassi then asserted that there was "so much fun" to his life thanks to tennis. He also insisted that he was not sure whether he was an underachiever or an overachiever, since he was too invested towards improving his game.

"There's so much fun tied to the life it's given me. Yes I do follow it... I'm a student of the game, you know. I don't know if I consider myself an overachiever or underachiever because I spent so much time thinking 'bout how to make myself better," he said.

The former World No. 1 also rued the years he wasted before reiterating how fond he is of tennis.

"And I spent too much time wasting years of my career, right. So, but when it comes to the mathematics of the game, the dynamics, the matchups, I turn on any match, immediately I just fall right into it," he added.

Andre Agassi to team up with Steffi Graf vs John McEnroe & Maria Sharapova at 2024 Pickleball Slam

Andre Agassi and Steff Graf [L]

Andre Agassi will be partnering his wife and 22-time Major winner Steffi Graf at the second edition of the Pickleball Slam. They will take on John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in South Florida, USA, on February 4, 2024.

Incidentally, Agassi was also a part of the inaugural Pickleball Slam in April this year. He teamed up with former World No. 1 Andy Roddick to take on John McEnroe and 1989 Roland Garros champion Michael Chang. The Agassi-Roddick duo were victors during the event, beating their compatriots in three sets to take home US $1 million in prize money.

The iconic event will be back next year and will be telecasted by ESPN countrywide. Andre Agassi, on his part, has already began trash-talking John McEnroe ahead of their much-awaited clash at the exhibition event.

"I mean, it’s [tennis] given me the chance to freakin' play pickleball and get paid to do it and take that money away from John McEnroe at the same time," he said on the Pat McAfee Show.