Photo: Courtesy of organizers

Tennis legend Andre Agassi has thrown his weight behind the rapid rise of pickleball in China, arguing that the country's sporting ecosystem, population base and existing racket-sport culture make it fertile ground for the sport's next global leap.

Speaking during his latest visit to ­China on Thursday, the American outlined both his personal journey into pickleball and his broader vision for its development, as the sport continues to gain traction worldwide.

Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam champion and one-time Olympic gold medalist, has increasingly positioned himself as one of pickleball's most prominent ambassadors since retiring from professional tennis. 

The sport, often described as a hybrid of tennis, badminton and table tennis, has experienced explosive growth in recent years, particularly in the US and parts of Asia.

His involvement now extends beyond participation to active promotion, investment and global advocacy, including plans to help build a "World Series of Pickleball" as a new international competition platform. 

Agassi traced his introduction to pickleball back to his family life.

"What got us into it was us playing together as a family," Agassi said. "Something Steph [Steffi Graf] and I have done our whole life, we were still able to do it with our children. Everybody was enjoying it. We loved that. That's what got us into it."

What began as a recreational activity soon evolved into a deeper engagement with the sport, driven by both its accessibility and complexity.

"What kept us motivated by pickleball was the fact that some things translated very easily for us. And other things were very challenging. And we had to unlearn many things from tennis," he noted.

For Agassi, the sport offers a rare combination of physical and mental engagement, even for elite athletes accustomed to the demands of professional tennis.

"So there was a physical outlet, there was a mental challenge, and there was a nuance to it that made us feel every day from the first day that we can get better," he said. "And we haven't stopped feeling that way."

That sense of constant progression, Agassi noted, remains one of pickleball's greatest appeals.

Beyond competition, Agassi emphasized pickleball's social dimension, an element he said is central to its global appeal. That sense of inclusivity and connection, he argued, distinguishes pickleball from many traditional high-performance sports.

"I wanted to double down on the participation side of pickleball, because it's still in its infancy," Agassi said. "I want to contribute to helping you grow, because I think it adds so much to people's life, health, physical, mental, health, an outlet of community."

His comments echo broader global trends. Pickleball has surged in popularity in part because of its relatively low barrier to entry and its adaptability across age groups and skill levels. 

Agassi was particularly optimistic about pickleball's prospects in China, pointing to structural advantages that could accelerate its development.

"All the ingredients are right for this part of the world," Agassi said. 

"You got space, you got land, you got weather, you got facilities," he added. "You have a population where if you can get the paddle into young children's hands, you're gonna start seeing a lot of them breakthrough on a world stage."

His assessment aligns with recent development in China's domestic pickleball scene.

According to Sun Wenbing, deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Tennis Association, the China Pickleball Tour has experienced exponential growth since its launch. The number of tournaments has surged from 80 stops in 2024 to more than 600 this year, reflecting both rising participation and institutional support.

The rapid expansion mirrors China's historical success in other racket sports, particularly table tennis, where early talent identification and mass participation have produced generations of world-class athletes.

For Ben Johns, regarded as one of the sport's leading professional players, China represents a unique convergence of sporting cultures.

"I feel like pickleball is something that we both seem very enthusiastic about. And one of the reasons I love pickleball is it has something for everyone in every country and everyone seems to enjoy it," Johns told reporters. 

That universality, he suggested, could make pickleball a rare global equalizer in sports.

"It's a very fun playing field competitively for everyone because everyone wants to play and be very competitive," he added.

Johns also addressed a key question in the sport's development, whether a tennis background is necessary for success.

"I think that you've seen most top players having a background in tennis or table tennis thus far, because it's the easiest to adopt pickleball from an older age when you already have those sport backgrounds," he said.

"But I don't think it's fully necessary if you are learning pickleball from a young age."

He said early specialization could produce even higher performance levels in the future.

"Like any sport, you're going to get very good at that sport because you played that actual sport from a young age," Johns said. "And you can start even earlier than that and probably end up even better."

Pickleball's rise from a niche pastime to a global phenomenon has been remarkably swift. Invented in the US in 1965, the sport has in recent years expanded into professional circuits, international exhibitions and grassroots programs worldwide. 

"It's great to see how fast pickleball is growing, and I'm just pleased and grateful to be part of it," Agassi said.