Tennis legend Andre Agassi believes pickleball still in its infancy amid unprecedented growth

HO CHI MINH CITY – It was a throwback to a golden era at the Rach Mieu Sports Complex in Ho Chi Minh City on March 26, as Andre Agassi took to the court in front of a packed crowd.

But instead of a tennis racket, the American tennis legend wielded a paddle, playing pickleball alongside some of the world’s top professionals as part of the Joola Legends Asia Tour.

Organised by Joola, a pickleball and table tennis company, the tour features coaching clinics, exhibitions and product demonstrations, with additional stops in Hanoi (March 27) and Shanghai (March 28 and 29).

What started as a family activity during the Covid-19 pandemic has evolved into a passion for tennis great Agassi, who has become deeply involved in pickleball, both as a player and investor.

Pickleball has experienced unprecedented growth, with participation soaring in the last few years.

And the American, who emerged as a precocious teenager in 1986 and had a career lasting two decades, believes that this is just the beginning of the sport’s rise.

The eight-time Grand Slam champion told The Straits Times: “From a participation deal, I think we’re at its infancy. So they say we have about 30 million people in America playing. I think that’s gonna double, triple, in not too long at all... globally, I think it’s gonna be probably the fastest-growing sport we’ve ever seen.”

According to a market.us report from October 2024, the global pickleball market size is expected to increase from US$1.5 billion (S$2 billion) in 2023 to US$4.4 billion in 2033.

While Agassi is optimistic about the future of pickleball, the 54-year-old believes the sport needs to consolidate for it to grow further.

Currently, pickleball lacks a single, universally recognised ranking system, with the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour and Major