Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf receive ominous Christmas message from Eugenie Bouchard ahead of Pickleball Slam 3
Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf have received icy Christmas wishes from rival Eugenie Bouchard as a warning ahead of Pickleball Slam 3. Bouchard will team up with Andy Roddick to take on the legendary power couple at the highly anticipated event.
The third edition of the Pickleball Slam is scheduled to be held on February 16, 2025, with the players battling it out at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Agassi and Graf will enter the event as the defending champions after beating John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova this year, with their sights set on claiming the $1 million prize again.
With the holiday season preceding the much-awaited battle, Eugenie Bouchard extended her festive wishes to Andre Agassi and Steffi Graff, albeit with a twist. The Canadian jokingly wished a duo a hearty season's "beatings" instead of greetings.
"I'd like to wish my opponents Andre and Steffi a very special season's beatings," Bouchard said.
Agassi and Graf have issued their own threat to their formidable opponents, sending them a chilling message complete with an iconic 'Game of Thrones' reference.
"We got a message for you, Andy and Genie, February 16th..." Agassi said.
"Winter is coming," Graf added.
The trash talk has been flying between the players in the lead-up to Pickleball Slam 3. From Andy Roddick suggesting unflattering team names for his rivals to Andre Agassi and Steffi referring to Roddick and Eugenie Bouchard as "the enemy."
"We're hoping Eugenie Bouchard doesn't have too much of an edge" - Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi ahead of Pickleball Slam 3
During a promotional clip for Pickleball Slam 3, Steffi Graf lavished praise on Eugenie Bouchard for making the challenging transition to professional pickleball, disclosing that she and Andre Agassi were hoping it wouldn't give the Canadian a massive edge in the contest.
"Genie’s been really playing well this year, taking it professional. I think the jump from tennis into pickleball is not an easy transition, and doubles and mixed is so different from tennis, so it's a little harder. We're hoping she doesn't have too much of an edge there," Graf said.
The eight-time Grand Slam champion echoed Graf's sentiments, applauding Bouchard for her "courage" in bridging the gap from tennis to pickleball.
The Canadian shared a humorous reaction to the praise from the tennis legends, joking that Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf were so "nice" that she almost regretted having to beat them at Pickleball Slam 3. Bouchard also cheekily called Agassi out for being "scared" after he and Graf disclosed their plans to target Roddick.