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.
“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.
Though Agassi and Waters walked away with the win, Dussault and Petropouleas didn’t make things easy for them, clawing their way back after a 0-1 start to follow up with a 11-9 victory to force a third match. Agassi and Waters won the final game 11-7 to advance and will play their next match against Trang Huynh-McClain and Len Yangvs.
