Andre Agassi and his team emerged victorious at Pickleball Slam 3, securing a $1 million prize on Sunday at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. Facing a competitive team led by Andy Roddick, Agassi extended his undefeated streak, cementing himself as a three-time Pickleball Slam champion.
The event began with a singles match between Agassi and Roddick, where Agassi dominated with a straight-set victory. The action continued with an exciting doubles match, as Steffi Graf partnered with Olympic silver medalist Mardy Fish to take on Eugenie Bouchard and John Isner. Graf and Fish secured another straight-set win, further boosting Team Agassi’s momentum.
The most anticipated match of the night featured Agassi and Graf against Roddick and Bouchard. Team Agassi won the first game 15-9, but Roddick and Bouchard made a strong comeback, winning 15-10 to force a decider. They claimed another victory, sending the competition into a tiebreaker. However, Agassi and his team held their nerve, clinching the final game and taking home the grand prize.
The Rise of Pickleball
Pickleball was invented in 1965 in Washington state, USA, and has since grown into a nationwide sensation. In 2022, it was officially recognized as Washington’s state sport. A hybrid of tennis, table tennis, and badminton, pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in the USA for three consecutive years (2021, 2022, and 2023).
As the sport’s popularity soared, several organizations emerged to professionalize and promote the game. The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) was founded in 2019, followed by Major League Pickleball (MLP) in 2021 and the National Pickleball League of Champions Pros in 2022. In 2023, the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) and MLP merged to create the United Pickleball Association, further solidifying the sport’s professional scene.
In 2024, the Pickleball World Rankings (PWR) was introduced as a new international professional organization. This ranking system allows players to earn points and improve their standings by participating in PWR World Tour tournaments, marking another step forward in pickleball’s global expansion.
