Andre Agassi, Ben Johns, Other Big Names Conclude JOOLA Legends Tour with Final Stop in China
The JOOLA 2025 Pickleball Legends Tour was a smashing success, marked by fun, big names, and lots of pickleball in four Asian cities in Vietnam and China.
The tour, headlined by pickleball ambassador Andre Agassi and pickleball icon Ben Johns, started with a visit to Ho Chi Minh on 26 March 2025, followed with a pit stop at Hanoi on 27 March 2025 before concluding in Shanghai in China on 27–28 March 2025.
At each stop, Agassi, Johns, and the rest of the JOOLA crew held meet-and-greets, granted interviews and photo opportunities, took part in pickleball demonstrations, and played in exhibition matches—all to give fans a rollicking good time while promoting the world’s fastest growing sport.
JOOLA 2025 Legends Tour Gets Fiiting Conclusion in Shanghai
The JOOLA 2025 Pickleball Legends Tour got an electric ending in Shanghai, where Agassi and his wife, Steffi Graf, competed in several entertaining and exciting matches across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. The exhibition matches were held at the city’s Shanghai Jingwu Gymnasium.
Said exhibition was organised by Great Sports Media and the sports bureau of the Hongkou district, with help from the Chinese Tennis Association and the United Pickleball Association (UPA). It highlighted pickleball’s potential appeal in China, where it is relatively new, according to UPA Asia Managing Director Kimberley Koh.
“We really want to showcase what pickleball is. It has a lot of potential to grow in China and the rest of Asia,” said Koh. “Our first step is to educate people about the sport and raise awareness. Then, we hope that after witnessing this tournament, people will be inspired to give it a try themselves.”
Agassi and Ben, considered as pickleball’s best player, agreed with Koh’s assessment on the sport’s potential to grow even more—particularly in the world’s most populous country.
“It [pickleball] breaks cultural barriers, brings people together, and I think it’s healthy for people’s body and mind,” said Agassi, who added that pickleball’s growth potential is fuel for him to promote the sport even more.
“I think the future of pickleball, especially here, is extremely bright. I think you have so many good table tennis players and tennis players with a strong racquet sports background in the country that pickleball seems like a natural fit. I think you guys will be extremely good at it,” Ben added while expressing optimism that pickleball will ultimately make it to the Olympics someday.
Aside from Agassi, Graf, and Ben Johns, other big names who joined the tour were Ben’s brother, Collin Johns, and pickleball stars Anna Bright, Brooke Buckner, Tyson McGuffin, and Chao Yi Wang.
