Tennis nice Andre Agassi to play his first professional pickleball event with No. 1 participant Waters

Tennis legend Andre Agassi is becoming a member of the professional pickleball ranks.

The former No. 1 ranked tennis participant instructed CNBC that he’ll play his first skilled event on the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships with the top-ranked participant on this planet, Anna Leigh Waters.

The event kicks off on Saturday in Naples, Florida, and might be broadcast on CBS Sports Network. Agassi and Waters will play their debut fit on April 30 at midday ET.

The concept to play in combination got here from 18-year-old Waters, who used to be on the lookout for a combined spouse for the largest pickleball event of the 12 months. The U.S. Open Pickleball Championships used to be based in 2016 and attracts crowds as huge as 50,000 fanatics each and every 12 months.

Waters, who earned greater than $3 million taking part in pickleball in 2024, in line with Forbes, has emerged as one of the vital recreation’s largest and maximum marketable stars.

“She’s probably sick of winning so much, and that’s why she called me and asked me to play,” Agassi joked.

Waters stated she scouted Agassi forward of time, looking at movies of him taking part in pickleball on YouTube.

“We both tend to err on the aggressive side, and I think that works,” she stated. “Andre’s goals are to grow the sport of pickleball, and that’s a huge goal of mine. I thought if we partnered together, this would be a really awesome way to grow the sport.”

Pickleball has taken off for the reason that Covid-19 pandemic and nowadays is the fastest-growing recreation within the U.S., rising 311% during the last 3 years, in line with the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. Pickleball avid gamers now make extra money than Women’s National Basketball Association and National Women’s Soccer League avid gamers as the game has attracted main sponsors, media offers and advert greenbacks.

After a few years of dominating at the tennis court docket, Agassi stated he stuck the pickleball trojan horse and fell in love with the social, inclusive nature of the game.

He has traveled the sector to lend a hand advertise the game thru his partnership with Joola, a maker of pickleball equipment. Agassi additionally serves because the inaugural chair of Life Time’s pickleball and tennis board.

As for his long-term pickleball plans, Agassi stated to not be expecting him to sign up for Major League Pickleball or the PPA Tour anytime quickly.

“If I had the luxury of bandwidth to focus all my energy on just playing and body recovery and all that stuff, that would be a joy. But I don’t,” he stated. “I’m in a different season now.”