Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf become iconic Marvel superheroes in striking transformation ahead of Pickleball Slam 3 ft. Andy Roddick, Eugenie Bouchard
Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf have been creatively transformed into iconic Marvel superheroes in honor of Pickleball Slam 3. The tennis power couple's formidable opponents, Andy Roddick and Eugenie Bouchard, also received superhero avatars of their own in anticipation of the contest.
Agassi and Graf are gearing up to defend their victory at the third edition of the Pickleball Slam after triumphing over John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova earlier this year. The duo will take on Roddick and Bouchard at the Michelob ULTRA Arena housed in Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on February 16, 2025, battling it out for the $1 million prize.
Building excitement for the event, the Pickleball Slam's social media handle shared AI-generated images of the players ahead of the much-awaited showdown. Andre Agassi was illustrated as Professor X, the leader of the X-Men who has telepathic abilities. Steffi Graf, meanwhile, was fittingly portrayed as the immensely powerful Captain Marvel.
On the other hand, Eugenie Bouchard was reimagined as 'The Phoenix,' better known as Jean Grey in the X-Men universe, while Andy Roddick took on the fierce person of Wolverine with his signature claws.
The players have also been drumming up excitement for the event by taking playful jabs at each other, with Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf issuing a bold warning to their "enemies," while Roddick referred to the legendary duo as the "underdogs," and Bouchard called Agassi out for being "scared."
"Andre Agassi just kicked me out" - Andy Roddick on compatriot replacing him with Steffi Graf at Pickleball Slam
Although Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick triumphed over John McEnroe and Michael Chang in the inaugural edition of the Pickleball Slam in 2023, the eight-time Grand Slam champion replaced Roddick with Steffi Graf as his partner for the second edition of the event.
In a recent promotional clip, Roddick took a jab at Agassi for "kicking him out" in favor of Graf even though he led them to victory last year. However, the former World No. 1 playfully asserted that the move was understandable since the German was the GOAT.
"It was a weird thing for me to just totally carry Andre [Agassi] to victory and then he just kind of, I think he just kind of kicked me out of the event and went on with his business. I guess that’s what happens when you have a wife who's the best of all time as an option," he said.
Andy Roddick has also admitted to being "concerned" about facing Steffi Graf, describing the 22-time Grand Slam champion as a "force to be reckoned with." Nevertheless, the American backed himself and Eugenie Bouchard to "defy the odds" and cause a major upset at Pickleball Slam 3.