05-05-2025
Andre Agassi notches win in professional pickleball debut with star Anna Leigh Waters
Tennis legend and eight-time Grand Slam Champion Andre Agassi walked away with a win in his professional pickleball debut on Wednesday, alongside star Anna Leigh Waters in the mixed pro doubles event at the U.S. Open Pickleball. The pair walked away with a 2-1 win against youngsters Tristan Dussault and Stevie Petropouleas, advancing to the third round of the tournament, taking place in Naples, Florida.
✅ make pro Pickleball debut✅ WIN pro Pickleball debutAndre Agassi and Anna Leigh Waters take home the W!
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) April 30, 2025
"Coming out with Anna Leigh, I was as nervous as a gypsy with a mortgage," Agassi joked in his post-win interview. No doubt, he chose the perfect partner with whom to make his debut; Waters, 18, is the No. 1 ranked women's pickleball player in the world, having gone pro at the astounding age of 12. She took home the gold in the U.S. Open Pickleball mixed pro doubles event alongside James Johnson in 2024, as well as gold in the women's doubles main draw partnering with her mother, Leigh.
Waters cited Agassi's aggressive play style as a plus for the pairing, and it showed when they took the court on Wednesday. The two successfully deployed the famous "shake and bake" in their debut as a pairing — an aggressive strategy, and one that requires precision of timing and excellent communication, which makes its use in Agassi's pro pickleball debut all the more impressive.
Though Agassi and Waters walked away with the win, Dussault and Petropouleas — ages 16 and 13, respectively — didn't make things easy for them, clawing their way back after a losing the opening game to follow up with an 11-9 victory to force a third game. Agassi and Waters won the final match 11-7 to advance.
Unfortunately, despite their initial win, Agassi and Waters weren't destined for an extended run in their first tournament together. They went on to lose in Round 3 to the duo of Trang Huynh-McClain and Len Yang over a three-game set, losing in the final match 11-7. Huynh-McClain and Yang will now take on Richard Livornese and Riley Bohnert in the U.S. Open Pickleball quarterfinals.
Coverage for the remainder of the U.S. Open Pickleball tournament, taking place through Saturday, will air on CBS Sports Network daily starting at noon ET.
