Tennis legends Agassi, McEnroe, Roddick, Chang to vie for $1M pickleball prize

Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Tennis icons Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Andy Roddick and Michael Chang will pick up paddles and battle for a $1 million pickleball prize in April in Hollywood, Fla., event organizers announced.

Horizon Sports & Experiences said the foursome will compete in the inaugural 2023 Pickleball Slam at noon April 2 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The event will air on ESPN.

"Pickleball is nothing short of a cultural phenomenon -- experiencing a meteoric rise across genders, age groups, geographies, and income levels," HS&E CEO David Levy said in a news release.

"The Slam, a multi-year partnership with the Hard Rock, represents the convergence of culture and sport, giving brands an opportunity to engage with passionate fans and amateur players, as pickleball continues to gain popularity.

"We look forward to bringing together four of America's most iconic tennis legends for this groundbreaking competition, which heralds a new milestone for the fastest growing sport in America."

Agassi, Roddick, Chang and McEnroe will take to a smaller court than the ones they dominated during their tennis careers, competing in the trendy sport that combines elements of ping-pong, tennis and badminton. The 2023 Pickleball Slam will feature two singles matches and a doubles match.

Roddick, 40, will face Chang, 50, in the first match. Roddick, a former world No. 1 and the 2003 U.S. Open champion, was 2-0 in career tennis matches against Chang.

Chang, who reached the No. 2 singles ranking, was the 1989 French Open champion.

McEnroe, 63, will then take on Agassi, 52. Roddick and Agassi will then compete against McEnroe and Chang in the doubles match, which will determine the split of the $1 million prize.

Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam winner, and McEnroe, who won seven Grand Slams, split their four career tennis meetings.

The 2023 Pickleball Slam also will feature an amateur challenge on March 31 and April 1. Ninety-six doubles teams, who enter on a first-come, first-serve basis, will compete for a $10,000 prize. The winning team also will compete against two of the tennis legends April 2 in a TV event.

Tickets for the 2023 Pickleball Slam will go on sale Feb. 10.