Tennis legend Andre Agassi is set to make his pro debut in another racket sport next week when he takes part in the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships alongside the sport’s No. 1 player.
Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam singles champion on the ATP Tour, told CNBC he will take to the court with 18-year-old star Anna Leigh Waters on April 30 in his first match. It was Waters’ idea to play together after she saw videos of Agassi, 54, playing pickleball on You Tube.
Waters was on track to earn more than $3 million last year as a professional pickleball player, but did not have a mixed doubles partner for this year’s U.S. Open, which begins on Saturday in Naples, Florida.
‘She’s probably sick of winning so much, and that’s why she called me and asked me to play,’ Agassi told CNBC.
Agassi said he was originally drawn to pickleball because of its social, inclusive nature. He’s since become a spokesman for the sport and an endorser for Joola, a company that makes pickleball gear.
‘Andre’s goals are to grow the sport of pickleball, and that’s a huge goal of mine,’ Waters said. ‘I thought if we partnered together, this would be a really awesome way to grow the sport.”
We even cover pickle ball: Sign up for USA TODAY’s Sports newsletter for more gametime updates.