Andre Agassi To Make Professional Pickleball Debut Alongside World No. 1 Player

Andre Agassi's involvement in pickleball is set to escalate after he committed to play in his maiden professional tournament.

The eight-time Grand Slam champion has played in three editions of the Pickleball Slam. In the first, he and Andy Roddick defeated Michael Chang and John McEnroe to win the significant prize money on offer.

Agassi teamed up with his wife and tennis legend Steffi Graf to win the Pickleball Slam 2 against John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova, maintaining his perfect record at the event that has brought significant attention to the sport.

Pickleball Slam 3 occurred in February in Las Vegas. Once again, Agassi teamed up with Graf to overcome Andy Roddick and Eugenie Bouchard to take home the massive $1 million prize money purse.

Agassi's excellent record in the Pickleball Slams might be what convinced him to play in the US Open Pickleball Championships, where he will team up with one of the biggest names in the quickly growing sport.

18-year-old Anna Leigh Waters is the No. 1 pickleball player on the planet. She and Agassi will form one of the most high-profile teams in the sport's history at the tournament, which will be broadcast in the United States on CBS.

Pickleball is ideal for those who want to enjoy a sport that is less intense than tennis. Some retired players who no longer possess the same physical capabilities as they did in previous years gravitate towards it for that reason.

However, Agassi has not ended his link to tennis. He replaced John McEnroe as Team World's Laver Cup captain and will make his debut in that role at this year's iteration of the popular team event.

Bjorn Borg, who recently said he thinks Carlos Alcaraz will win more Grand Slams than Rafael Nadal, was also replaced as Team Europe's captain by Yannick Noah, who is a Davis Cup-winning captain with France.

Keeping legends involved in the sport is undoubtedly healthy. Agassi has not been as prominent as those like McEnroe, who commentates at the four Grand Slams each year, although many fans do not like his style in the commentary box.

Pete Sampras, Agassi's greatest rival, has distanced himself from tennis more than most legends. The 14-time Grand Slam champion is rarely seen at tournaments and does not comment much on the sport in any capacity.

Agassi recently reflected on his legendary rivalry with Sampras. Despite admitting that Sampras ruined a lot of Sundays for him in the finals, Agassi also acknowledges that he made him a better player.

Many wondered whether anyone would match Sampras' total of 14 major titles. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic all surpassing that total is incredible and demonstrates how the trio dominated tennis for so many years.

Nadal, who won 22 Grand Slams, including 14 French Opens, was honored with the Sporting Icon Award at the Laureus World Sports Awards with Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz watching on.

Djokovic is the only one of that legendary trio still competing. Hopefully, he continues for many years, as his presence is undoubtedly beneficial for the sport.