Despite having won innumerable trophies, plenty of prize money, and an abundance of fame from the racket sport, Andre Agassi always had a “love-hate” relationship with tennis. In fact, he also revealed that he never dreamt of being a tennis prodigy. It was rather imposed on him by his father, Mike Agassi. Perhaps, this is what led him to describe tennis as “torture” and the court to be a “prison” in his biography, ‘Open’. Andre Agassi took his retirement from tennis in 2006 and now, he’s a full-fledged pickleball player. Would he ever consider trying his hand at tennis again though?
Well, the 8-time Grand Slam champion Agassi made some interesting comments in a recently released teaser of the upcoming Netflix film ‘The Electric State,’ starring Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown. The 54-year-old tennis legend first introduced himself by saying, “Hi, I’m Andre Agassi and I’m famous for one thing. Being a pickleball legend. I had this unbelievable coach called the Mech Bot. He had four arms. I mean, they can hit the ball up to 600 miles an hour off both wings. The first time I got my racket on it, I had some success, I hit it dead center.”
He then recalled the moment when he won his maiden pickleball Major. In that Netflix video clip, Agassi spoke about the fame, the prize money and the memorable evening he spent with the famous mascot Mr. Peanut. Later, he was asked if he would ever consider trying his hand at tennis again. In reply to that, the tennis legend surprisingly tilted towards the paddle sport. “Umm…I’m going to stick with pickleball,” he said.
Is it the first time that we’ve seen Agassi showcasing his love for pickleball though? Well, in another interview recently, he was heard saying, “Tennis is too damn hard” for beginners. He said since he already experienced highs in that sport, tennis became less appealing to him after his retirement. Agassi is now more inclined toward the fastest-growing sport in America! What difference does he find in both these sports?
Previously in a promotional video clip for the Pickleball Slam 3, Agassi said, “I’m a big supporter of [pickelball], and I want to grow the game, not just in the United States but globally. I’m honest with tennis. I’m honest with pickleball. Tennis is the Everest of any racket sport. And I will proudly say there’s no question about it, but I will also say that pickle offers something to so many people that you have to appreciate it.“
According to Agassi, tennis is the “most demanding, most nuanced, hardest, physically, emotionally, mentally, across the board racket sport.” Although he celebrates both these sports, he doesn’t intend to try his hand at tennis again. What about pickleball? Well, Agassi is racking up records there as well!
Andre Agassi clinches his third Pickleball Slam
Andre Agassi won the first edition of the pickleball slam with Andy Roddick in 2023. Then last year, he did it with Steffi Graf, and in 2025 again, Team Agassi ended up on the right side of the results.
In Pickleball Slam 3, Agassi himself set the tone with a win over Andy Roddick in the first singles match. However, in that match, there was a controversial moment where Roddick wasn’t too pleased with the official’s call. He even yelled, “It’s a dumb rule.” What happened there?
During the match, there was a moment when Roddick was handed a fault while volleying a ball at the net, with the point going to Andre Agassi. In the replays, it was clear that Roddick returned the volley from the kitchen, that is the non-volley zone, and perhaps that was the reason why the umpire called that out.
After Roddick lost that singles match, Steffi Graf and Mardy Fish, who were representing Team Agassi, beat Eugenie Bouchard and John Isner from Team Roddick in the second match. However, in the next doubles match, Roddick and Bouchard beat the power couple of Agassi and Graf.
This led to a Tiebreaker of a single game of 11 points, with two players from each team alternating after every four points. In the tiebreaker, Agassi and Fish kept their composure to seal the deal for Team Agassi.
After this win, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf’s children, Jaz and Jaden, also joined the celebration at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Jaz even shared a family photo on her IG story with the caption, “The champs.”
This wasn’t the first time that we saw Jaz expressing her love and support for her parents. Even in the previous edition, she cheered for her super-momma. Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on the epic battle between Team Roddick and Team Agassi at the Pickleball Slam 3?
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