Andre Agassi Talks ‘Addicting’ Pickleball, Top US Open Memories and More

While the end of summer isn’t always the happiest time—even if you’ve passed back-to-school age, there is still something tough about seeing Labor Day approaching—there are some silver linings on the sports calendar.

Major League Baseball is reaching the home stretch, adding some extra juice to America’s Pastime. The NFL regular season is also rapidly approaching, putting training camp updates, fantasy football mock drafts and everything else gridiron-related on our collective radars.

But that’s not all. The end of August also brings the U.S. Open back around. And while tennis might not be one of the conventional North American “big four” sports, a Grand Slam still has a way of carving out a share of the spotlight.

And, during his time on the court, Andre Agassi was more than comfortable occupying center stage.

The American’s resume reads like a list of what any athlete could ever hope to accomplish: a career Golden Slam (consisting of four Australian Open titles, two U.S. Open wins, a single crown at both the French Open and Wimbledon, plus an Olympic Gold Medal), more than $31 million in combined winnings, plenty of time atop the global rankings and, ultimately, a place in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Retirement wasn’t the end of Agassi’s involvement with racket sports, though. Beyond his ongoing connection to tennis, the living legend has also gotten into the pickleball scene; recently, he even partnered with Joola to launch a new line of pickleball equipment and accessories.

With that partnership and the 30th anniversary of Agassi’s first U.S. Open both on the cards, Newsweek caught up with the former world number one to talk pickleball, some of his memories from Queens and more.

The Old Agassi Still Exists in Pickleball

During his time on the tennis circuit, Agassi was known for his eye-catching combination of flash and power. While his outfits and (at least initially) his hairstyle could grab your attention, he could also back it up.

“True to his Las Vegas roots, Agassi was a showman and entertainer, a devastating baseline player who bashed every ball as though his life depended on it,” his International Tennis Hall of Fame profile explains. “Long before he had ever won his first tournament, Nike signed the teenager to a multi-million dollar endorsement contract and created a line of shoes and apparel that matched his playing style: loud, bold, aggressive, and confident.”

While it’s easy to assume that the passage of time and the fact that he’s no longer competing for Grand Slam titles has mellowed Agassi’s game a bit, the Andre of old still comes out on the pickleball court.

“Oh, it does, in singles especially,” he told Newsweek. “Right, so in doubles, you have to unlearn a few things, but in singles it really translates. So, like the two-handed backhand pass, for example, is a very dependable shot for me. And I love the physical outlet because, in pickle, you have to, every movement has to be really aggressive because the ball doesn’t come to you. And if you don’t get that paddle behind the ball, then you lose options. So, I love the physical outlet of the movement without all of that rotational wear and tear.”

But wait, you may be saying, how did one of tennis’ biggest names get into pickleball in the first place? Well, it fittingly came through competition.

“I played a lot of years of tennis, and I still play some. I love it, but it’s a little harder on the body, too, with the rotation,” he explained. “I got into [pickleball] because I did this event, you know, the Pickleball Slam with me and [Andy] Roddick and [Michael] Chang and John [McEnroe]. I was like, ‘You know what, I’ll pick up the paddle, and I’ll see what’s up with it.”

From there, the rest was history.

“And it’s pretty addicting right away, you know? But I didn’t really get addicted to it until after we competed,” he continued. “Then I was like, ‘Oh my God, if you get the right group of people together, this is a lot of fun.’ …Then I just kept it up. I actually enjoy the competition.”

And, before you ask, Agassi kept up winning ways in his new arena. He and Roddick came out on top in Pickleball Slam 1, and he and wife Steffi Graff claimed victory in Pickleball Slam 2.

Addressing the American Men’s US Open Drought

Whether you agree with it or think it’s little more than a cliché, just about every sports fan is familiar with the concept of home-field advantage. In recent years, though, the U.S. Open hasn’t exactly been a boon for Americans within the men’s singles bracket. While the likes of Agassi, Pete Sampras, Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe used to dominate in Queens, things are a bit different these days. The last American man to reach the top of the metaphorical mountain was Andy Roddick, who took the top spot in 2003.

As a two-time champ, how does Agassi assess the drought?

“Well, I think [Djokovic, Federer and Nadal] are a big reason,” he said. “You think about it, how little room there’s been for anyone else, and then you add [Stan] Wawrinka and [Andy] Murray to that, and I would almost say that every Slam has been gobbled up. So, there’s no question that’s the case.”

But, drawing on personal experience, the two-time champ also had another idea.

“But it’s also a factor of the generation pushing each other,” Agassi continued. “I first came on the scene and showed Chang and [Jim] Courier and [Pete] Sampras that, ‘Look, we can play with the best in the world.’ Then Chang comes on and says, ‘Yeah, not only can we play with them, we can win a Slam.’ And then Pete says, ‘Well, then I want to win a Slam, too.’ And Courier’s like, ‘Well, we can win a Slam and be number one.’ And then I’m like, ‘Crap, I’m missing out.’ So, there’s a lot of belief that goes into it, and I think this generation can really help each other by pushing one another.”

In terms of the challenge of facing world-class talent from elsewhere around the globe, Martin Blackman, general manager of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Player Development, largely agreed.

“One is comprised of four names: Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Murray,” he told Newsweek via email when asked about reasons behind the drought. “The other is when we dominated from the 70s through the 90s there were about 10 countries with a presence in the Top 200, today there are over 30.”

But, in that context of that higher bar to clear, Blackman highlighted the fact that there are five American men and five American women ranked in the top 20 for the first time since the 1990s.

“It’s a generational benchmark that clearly signals the resurgence of American Tennis,” he added.

Agassi’s US Open Memories and Names to Watch

As noted above, Agassi had plenty of success at the U.S. Open. And while those titles do make up some of his most memorable moments, the legend has more than just championships on his list.

“There’s so many, my gosh. I grew up in front of New York. New York helped me grow up in a lot of ways,” he reminisced. “The fourth-set tiebreaker in the quarterfinals with Pete [Sampras in 2001] when neither one of us lost our serve for, like, three and a half hours and the crowd had a standing ovation as the fourth-set tiebreaker started. That stands out.”

But that isn’t all he remembers fondly.

“My retirement, no question, stands out. My first win, not being seeded, stands out,” he continued. “Yeah, I would say those three probably top the list.”

But what about this year’s tournament? It goes without saying that Agassi won’t be part of the draw, but he still shared some perspective on the names he’ll be keyed-in on.

“I love watching, not that the torch has been passed, but watching the game get sort of handed over to the likes of [Carlos] Alcaraz and [someone with] a game like [Jannik] Sinner,” Agassi explained. “The game’s in good hands with that, so I take a lot of refuge that, you know, we have someone who’s captured the imagination of the public in Alcaraz. So, I always love watching him play.

“I can’t wait to see Novak find just more motivation to continue what he’s doing. You wonder when Father Time is going to get the best of him, but he’s resisting it and that’s also good for tennis fans.”

Now, it just remains to see how things play out. As Agassi and tennis fans know, anything can happen once you step in between the white lines.