Sharapova, McEnroe, Graf, Agassi to Compete in Pickleball Slam 2

Four of the best tennis players in history will swap their racquets for paddles on the pickleball court for Pickleball Slam 2.

Andre Agassi and his wife, Stefanie Graf, will face John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL and the event is set to air on ESPN on February 4, 2024.  The winning team will win a $1 million cash prize and donations to a charity of their choice.

While the four competitors hold a total of 42 Grand Slam titles, they will be trading in their tennis skills to play pickleball on an international stage.

The first edition of Pickleball Slam occurred on April 2, 2023, where Agassi teamed up with Andy Roddick to beat McEnroe and Michael Chang.

“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,” Agassi said. “Naturally, I am so excited to share this experience with one of the best tennis players, my wife.”

“When I watched the inaugural Pickleball Slam in April and stepped onto the court, I was hooked,” Graf chimed in. “Andre and I can’t wait to get back out on the court together to face off against Maria and John.”

Graf held the record for the most Grand Slam titles won by any tennis player in the Open Era with 22 until Serena Williams tied the record after winning Wimbledon in 2016, and then broke the record at the 2017 Australian Open. Her husband since 2001, Agassi, finished his career with eight major titles.

McEnroe won seven major titles during his playing career. He’s the oldest competitor out of the bunch at 64 years old. His partner, Sharapova, is the youngest player at age 36. She won five Grand Slam titles before retiring in 2020.

The first event drew 669,000 viewers in a midday window on ESPN.  Next year’s event will also air live on the network, following the NFL Pro Bowl in primetime.

“Following the success of the inaugural Pickleball Slam, we’re excited to once again partner with and return to the Hard Rock and present SLAM 2 in primetime on ESPN, an ideal timeslot coming out of the network’s coverage of the NFL Pro Bowl and a NBA regular season game,” said David Levy, co-CEO of the event’s producers, Horizon Sports & Experiences.

“It’s great to have both John and Andre return for SLAM 2. In pairing them up with Stefanie and Maria, two of the greatest and most competitive players in the history of tennis, there’s sure to be no shortage of incredible action and entertaining moments on the court.”