Roddick And Agassi To Compete In Charity Match For Western North Carolina
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Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi will participate in a charity match to aid Western North Carolina alongside two WTA stars and other celebrity guests.
North Carolina was one of the U.S. states impacted by the devastating Hurricane Helene in late September 2024. There were at least 105 reported deaths in North Carolina alone, but the actual number may have been higher.
The number of people known to be dead as a result of Hurricane Helene eclipsed 230 people. Victims spanned the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, and Virginia.
Unfortunately, Western North Carolina is now dealing with wildfires after the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene. Managing two devastating events in the space of a few months is terrible for its residents.
One of the only solaces during such terrible moments is seeing others step up to support those struggling. Four tennis players, celebrity guests, and organizers behind the scenes are doing that for those impacted in North Carolina.
Roddick, Agassi, and others play in a charity match in Asheville, North Carolina, on February 2nd. The presence of those two Grand Slam champions alone would generate attention, but there are many other guests.
The two tennis legends are also confirmed to compete in Pickleball Slam 3 on February 16th. Roddick will partner with Eugenie Bouchard, who plays pickleball regularly, while Agassi will compete alongside his wife, tennis legend Steffi Graf.
There has been some amusing trash talk before that event in a couple of weeks. Roddick partnered with Roddick in Pickleball Slam 1, and they beat John McEnroe and Michael Chang. The 2003 US Open champion said he could not believe Agassi abandoned him after that triumph.
Bouchard accused Agassi of running scared from her after the eight-time Grand Slam champion stated he and Graf would probably target Roddick because of Bouchard's pickleball experience.
American WTA world No. 1 Jessica Pegula has also committed to playing at the charity match for North Carolina. To casual sports fans, she is best known for reaching the 2024 US Open final, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka after a high-quality battle.
Pegula started her season positively by finishing as the runner-up to Madison Keys at the 2025 Adelaide International. Interestingly, the 30-year-old predicted Keys would win the 2025 Australian Open if she played at the same level as the third set of their Adelaide final, and she did that to claim her maiden Grand Slam.
In contrast to Keys, Pegula unexpectedly lost to Olga Danilovic at the Australian Open. The Serbian, who usually plays her best tennis on clay, thrived in the slow evening conditions during the match to beat her higher-ranked opponent.
Emma Navarro is the other WTA player whose participation at the charity event has been confirmed. Navarro had an incredible breakthrough season in 2024, including reaching the US Open semifinal and winning a maiden WTA title.
The 23-year-old showed superb physical and mental strength by winning four consecutive matches in deciding sets at the Australian Open. She is known for her laid-back demeanor, which seems to help her stay calm during tight contests.
Michael Kosta, Pete Wentz, Jeff Probst, and Esai Morales are celebrity guests appearing at the charity match.
