Tennis legend and eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi won in his professional pickleball debut on Wednesday along with Star Annally Waters in the mixed pro doubles event at the US Open Pickleball. The pair made it to the third round of the tournament in Napoli, Florida, leaving in a 2-1 victory over youngsters Tristan Dusault and Stevie Petroplouas.
“When I came out with Anna Lee, I was as nervous as a gypsy with a mortgage,” Agassi joked in an interview with his Postwin. Without a doubt, he chose the perfect partner to make his debut. The 18-year-old Waters is a world-ranked pickleball player who went professionally at an incredible age of 12. She took home the money with James Johnson in 2024 at the US Open Pickle Ball Mix Pro Doubles event, and brought home the money from the women’s doubles main drawing, which she partners with her mother, Ray.
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Waters cited Agassi’s aggressive playstyle as a plus in the pairing, showing when he took him to court on Wednesday. The two successfully paired their debut, “Shake and Bake.” This is a proactive strategy, requiring timing and excellent communication accuracy, and is even more impressive in Agassi’s Pro Pickleball debut.
Agassi and Waters left in victory, but Dussault and Petropouleas, ages 16 and 13, respectively, didn’t make things easier. Agassi and Waters advanced by winning the final match 11-7.
Unfortunately, despite their first wins, Agassi and Waters weren’t geared towards an extended run in the first tournament together. They lost to the duo Trang Huynh-McClain and Len Yang in round three on a three-game set, losing 11-7. Huynh-McClain and Yang will face Richard Rivalnese and Riley Bohnert in the US Open Pickleball Quarter Finals.
The remainder of the coverage of the US Open Pickleball Tournament, which runs through Saturday, will air daily on CBS Sports Network starting at noon.
