Andre Agassi and Anna Leigh Waters will make their debut together at the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida, after learning their first opponents on Monday. They will face Tristan Dussault and Stevie Petropouleas, who won their opening match earlier that day.
Big Names Ready for Action
Agassi, 54, a tennis legend, teams up with Waters, 18, the No. 1-ranked woman in pickleball. Their partnership is creating a buzz at the tournament. Thirty-two teams remain in the Mixed Pro Doubles draw after Monday’s first round. Dussault and Petropouleas advanced by defeating Ashton Patters and Andi Godwin, 11-3, 11-2.
Other Events Begin
Monday also saw the start of the men’s and women’s pro singles, men’s and women’s pro doubles, and the mixed split pro event. In the mixed split pro, each team must have one player aged 49 or younger and one aged 50 or older. Players can enter multiple events. Petropouleas also competed in women’s pro singles but lost to Sarah Mulhern, 11-6, 11-0. Mulhern moves on to face last year’s silver medalist, Megan Fudge.
Women’s Pro Doubles Updates
Only two matches took place in the women’s pro doubles opening round. Brittni Tonnessen and Volly Johnson defeated Petropouleas and Miranda Cabieses, 12-10, 11-8. Barbara Fuzesi and Meray Maalouf beat Eva Kohutova and Emma Wang, 11-7, 11-6.
Fuzesi and Maalouf will next play Anna Leigh Waters and her mother, Leigh Waters, who are the defending champions. “We’re just really excited to be back,” Leigh Waters told Fox 4 Southwest Florida.
“I’m both playing and coaching. Anna Leigh is playing with Andre Agassi in the pro mixed doubles, so there’s just a lot of excitement, a lot of buzz this year.” – (Leigh)
Men’s Pro Singles Action
In men’s pro singles, Tanner Tomassi edged Juan Varon, 12-10, 11-4. Tomassi will face defending champion Jack Foster in the next round. Jayden Broderick beat Samuel Higginson, 11-7, 11-2, and moves on to face 2024 silver medalist Christopher Haworth.
Looking Ahead
Agassi and Waters’ match is highly anticipated and expected to draw more fans to the tournament. As top players advance, excitement around the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships will likely continue to grow throughout the week.
News in Brief: Andre Agassi and Anna Leigh Waters
Andre Agassi and Anna Leigh Waters will debut as partners at the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships. They face Tristan Dussault and Stevie Petropouleas, who won their first match Monday. Early rounds also saw action in singles and doubles events, with big names like Megan Fudge and Jack Foster moving ahead.