Disclaimer: This Inside South Florida segment is sponsored by Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. All opinions and views are of the advertiser and does not reflect the same of WSFL-TV.
The Pickleball Slam is returning to South Florida, and this time the stakes have never been higher.
Pickleball Slam 4 is set for April at Hard Rock Live, pairing two tennis legends — Andre Agassi and James Blake — against two of the biggest names in professional pickleball in a battle for a $1 million prize. The event will air live on ESPN at 7 p.m.
Jon Venison joined Inside South Florida to break down what fans can expect from what he calls the Super Bowl of the sport.
Tennis legends meet pickleball pros
For the first time in the event's history, actual pickleball professionals will compete against the tennis legends — and the matchup is being framed as a modern nod to the 1973 Battle of the Sexes between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King.
On one side: Agassi, an 8-time major champion and former world No. 1 who has become a serious pickleball player in recent years, teaming up with James Blake, former world No. 4 in tennis.
On the other side: Anna Leigh Waters, 19 years old and widely considered the most accomplished pickleball pro in the world, teaming up with Eugenie Bouchard, a former Wimbledon finalist and former world No. 5 on the WTA Tour.
"We have Andre Agassi, who's an eight-time major champion, former number one in the world, who's been a really great pickleball player for the last few years, going up with James Blake, former number four in the world, great player as well, against two women who are icons in the sport," Venison said.
The night will feature two singles matches — James Blake vs. Anna Leigh Waters, followed by Andre Agassi vs. Eugenie Bouchard — before the main event: a doubles match with the women taking on the men for the $1 million prize.
Why pickleball keeps growing
Venison says the sport's explosive growth comes down to one thing — accessibility.
"It is very easy to play, very easy to learn. For the average player, it's a really fun game to learn and pick up quickly. When you compare it to tennis or golf or sports that people play for a long time, those take a long time to be very good at. Pickleball is a lot faster of a learning curve, and therefore you can have fun at a much quicker pace," Venison said.
The event's history
This will be the fourth Pickleball Slam event overall and the third time it has been held in Florida. Past editions have featured tennis icons including Jon McEnroe, Steffi Graf, and Maria Sharapova.
"We bring the biggest names in racket sports, and we've put up the biggest prize in the history of the sport — a million dollars," Venison said.
Tickets for Pickleball Slam 4 at Hard Rock Live are available at hrl.com or thepickleballslam.com.
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