"Drag him to the bitter end, reach in and rip his heart out" - Andre Agassi on facing John McEnroe during Pickleball Slam
Andre Agassi recently spoke about taking on John McEnroe during a promotional video for Pickleball Slam 2.
Agassi and his wife Steffi Graf will face McEnroe and Maria Sharapova in the second edition of the Pickleball Slam. The eight-time Grand Slam singles champion competed in the inaugural edition of the event, partnering Andy Roddick. The pair beat John McEnroe and Michael Chang.
During the video, Agassi gave a shout-out to Sharapova and McEnroe and had a dig at the latter for beating him in the event's inaugural edition.
"A big shoutout to two savage pickleballers, John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova. What's happening? I hope you guys are looking forward to Pickleball Slam 2. I know I am. Maria we had a blast last year, sorry you missed it," Agassi said.
"You would have saw me take John McEnroe and just drag him to the bitter end, reach in and rip his heart out. And the fun part was he blamed his partner the entire time. So you better bring your A-game," he added.
Agassi also announced his partner at the event, none other than his wife and 22-time Grand Slam champion Steffi Graf.
"And Johnny Mac, I see what you've done. You've recruited one of the game's most beloved legends. You think that's gonna help you? It ain't going to help you because I've been doing some recruiting of my own, and I want to introduce you to my partner Steffi Graf," the American said.
Graf then joined Agassi in the video and claimed that they were working very hard before telling her opponents to bring their A-game to the event in February.
"Hey guys, super excited. Hey Maria, hi John. Really looking forward to see you guys. We're getting ready. we're working hard, so yo've got to bring your A-game like Andre said, Last year was such a blast, I can only imagine we're gonna have a great, great time. So, really looking forward to seeing you down at the Hardrock," Steffi Graf said.
Andre Agassi excited to compete in Pickleball Slam 2 with Steffi Graf
During the announcement of Pickleball Slam 2, Andre Agassi shared his enjoyment of pickleball, stating that he would play the sport as long as he could walk.
"After Andy and I took home the hardware at the first Pickleball Slam, I said I would be playing pickleball as long as I can walk—that’s how much I enjoy this game. Naturally, I am so excited to share this experience with one of the best tennis players, my wife," Agassi said.
The American is among the finest tennis players of all time with eight Grand Slam singles titles to his name. This includes four at the Australian Open (1995, 2000, 2001, 2003). He is also one of just eight male players to have won the Career Grand Slam (winning all four Majors at least once).
Andre Agassi retired from tennis in 2006, with that year's US Open being his last tournament. He made it to the third round before losing to Benjamin Becker.