In recent years, the name Andre Agassi has been almost synonymous to pickleball. That’s because the former tennis legend has been so vocal about his love for the sport and has become its de facto ambassador. In fact, just recently, he headlined a Legends Tour in Asia that included some of pickleball’s marquee names like the Johns Brothers and Tyson McGuffin.
But through it all, Agassi was at best an enthusiast of the sport who happened to have massive name recall from his days as one of history’s greatest ever tennis players.
In a few days, however, Agassi will officially add pickleball pro to his sterling resume. That’s because he will be playing his first tournament—the US Open Pickleball Championships—as the mixed doubles partner of top-ranked player Anna Leigh Waters. The many-time Grand Slam champ will make his pro pickleball debut on 30 April 2025 (US time) in one of the most prestigious tournaments in the sport by far.
Unlike Agassi, Waters is a pro’s pro in pickleball, having earned more than USD $3 million in prize money and numerous first-place finishes in singles and doubles. She is also widely regarded as one of the best female picklers in the world—if not outright the best.
Waters also won the mixed doubles category in last year’s US Open Pickleball Championships with partner JW Johnson.
That means the pressure’s on for the 54-year-old Agassi as he will look to help Waters defend the mixed doubles crown right in his very first tournament no less. Despite turning pro, though, Agassi clarified to CNBC that he isn’t planning to join Major League Pickleball or the PPA Tour anytime soon.
“If I had the luxury of bandwidth to focus all my energy on just playing and body recovery and all that stuff, that would be a joy. But I don’t,” he said. “I’m in a different season now.”
Agassi and Waters will be two of more than 3,400 competitors from all over America and from all around the world. They will all be looking to excel in the US Open Pickleball Championships at East Naples Community Park. The prestigious tournament will get underway on 26 April 2025 (US time).
