Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi have kept a low profile since retiring from professional tennis in 1999 and 2006, respectively. While Agassi has made occasional appearances as a coach and commentator, his upcoming role as Team World captain at the Laver Cup will mark his biggest return to the sport in years. Graf, on the other hand, has largely stepped away from the tennis spotlight. Instead, the couple has focused on raising their two children —Jaden, 23, and Jaz, 21— while enjoying a quiet life in Las Vegas. They still pick up the racket from time to time — just not the tennis racket.
Graf and Agassi have embraced pickleball, becoming ambassadors for JOOLA, a brand specializing in pickleball and table tennis gear. And they’re not just representing the sport—they’re helping spread its reach. Agassi and Graf are set to embark on the JOOLA Pickleball Legends Tour, running from March 26 to 29 in Vietnam and China. They’ll be joined by top JOOLA athletes, including Ben Johns, Anna Bright, Brooke Buckner, Tyson McGuffin, Collin Johns, and Chao Yi Wang.
This isn’t their first big pickleball event of the year. In February, the duo competed in the third annual Pickleball Slam at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, taking on tennis champions Andy Roddick and Eugenie Bouchard. The result? Another win for Team Agassi, securing them a $1 million prize. The American tennis legend was already a two-time defending champion, having won the first event with Roddick and the second alongside his wife Graf.
Andre Agassi credits pickleball for bringing him closer to his wife Steffi Graf
Agassi, the 8-time Grand Slam champion, has attributed the sport for bringing her closer to Steffi Graf in a way that tennis never could. “It’s been fun growing with Stef in the game. It’s been a great outlet for us athletically and relationally. Being able to go do something together besides beat ourselves up on a tennis court has been wonderful,” the 54-year-old tennis icon told Forbes Travel Guide.
Tennis is no longer a regular activity for Graf. Years of competition have taken a toll on her body, with hip and knee issues making the sport tough to play. But pickleball? That’s a different story. Both she and Andre Agassi play pickleball nearly ten times more than they do tennis. The sport’s smaller court and less intense movements make it an ideal option. Agassi even pointed out that the quick pivots of tennis can be particularly hard on someone in their fifties with decades of wear and tear.
During a visit to Mumbai in 2024 to launch pickleball’s PWR DUPR India League, Agassi touched on another reason the sport is so appealing. He highlighted how difficult it was to get family members into tennis since it takes years to develop skill. Pickleball, on the other hand, is a different beast. “Anybody can pick up a pickleball racket, anybody. It’s not intimidating. You grab the paddle and you try it, and every ten minutes you get better. I don’t care what level you play at,” he said.
Agassi and Graf aren’t just playing, but they’re also investing. They’ve launched their own signature paddles, bringing their expertise from tennis into the pickleball world. Even Brad Gilbert, Agassi’s former coach, has given them a stamp of approval.
The couple may not be on the tennis court much these days, but they’ve found a new way to keep competing, having fun, and growing the game. Who would’ve thought Agassi and Graf’s comeback would involve a pickleball paddle instead of a tennis racket?
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