Andre Agassi makes huge pickleball announcement with return to competitive action 19 years after tennis retirement

Andre Agassi is set to return to competitive action nearly two decades after hanging up his tennis racket in 2006. Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, and a lot of professional tennis players, both current and retired, have taken it up professionally.

Agassi's admiration for pickleball has only been increasing over the years, with the eight-time Grand Slam champion playing the sport all over the world. The American has also been an integral part of the popular Pickleball Slam, which has also seen the participation of talents like Agaasi's wife and 22-time Grand Slam champion Steffi Graf, Andy Roddick, Eugenie Bouchard, and others.

Andre Agassi's love for the sport seems to have reignited his desire to return to competitive action, as it was recently announced that the 54-year-old will be competing at the 2025 US Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida, on April 30. He will be participating in the mixed doubles event, for which he will team with the sensation Anna Leigh Waters.

To the unversed, Anna Leigh Waters is an 18-year-old professional who is ranked World No. 1 in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. The news was announced on the Kitchen Pickleball's Instagram page, a popular pickleball community, and also had a clip showing some highlights from a practice session of the duo. The reports also read that it was Waters who extended an invitation to Agassi.

Interestingly, Agassi had recently opened up about the positive impact pickleball has had on his and his wife Steffi Graf's lives.

Andre Agassi opens up about the positive impact of pickleball on his life

Andre Agassi - Source: Getty

During an appearance on the Bad Calls - Pickleball Podcast, Andre Agassi talked about how it was for him, at his age, to make new friends, but pickleball had changed that and helped him find a new community.

"This might say more about me than I care to admit, but me and Steff (i Graf) actually make friends. You know how hard it is to make friends. I'm 55 years old. I mean, it's sad but true. It's hard, right? The older you get, the less people in your life, right? But pickle(ball) has actually turned that on its head. It's like we have people we just enjoy being with. Pickleball court, running into them at dinner somewhere, going out," Andre Agassi said.

He then continued talking about the reason behind how pickleball was able to bring so many people closer.

Though he may enjoy his time playing pickleball, it is worth noting that Andre Agassi hasn't forgotten about tennis. He was recently announced to be an analyst for TNT Sports and Warner Bros. Discovery's team for the semifinals and final of the 2025 French Open.