The 54-year-old emerged victorious in both of her matches at the Pickleball Slam 2 tournament. Steffi Graf, the former German tennis champion, may have retired from professional tennis, but her athleticism was on full display when she took to the court for Pickleball Slam 2. Graf teamed up with her husband, former American tennis star Andre Agassi, to face off against John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova. The German impressed everyone with her agility and skill during the match.
Graf and Agassi’s team dominated McEnroe and Sharapova’s team, winning all three matches. Graf participated in two of the matches and achieved victories in both. In one match, she partnered with Jack Sock, while in the other, she played alongside Agassi against Sharapova and McEnroe. Throughout the matches, Graf exhibited high energy and seemed to thoroughly enjoy her time on the court, albeit with a paddle in hand instead of a racket as in her heyday. Her remarkable fitness at the age of 54 left a lasting impression on the fans, who applauded the former tennis World No.1.
Social media platforms were inundated with posts praising Steffi Graf’s exceptional performance in pickleball. Here are a few reactions from fans:
“I can’t contain my excitement! María Sharapova and Steffi Graf on the same court. Mind-blowing! 🤯”
“Is it possible that I’ve been transported back to my 23-year-old self? 😊 Tonight on TV, Tracy Chapman is singing ‘Fast Car,’ and Steffi Graf is winning a match on the court. (Okay, it’s pickleball now, but still). Flashback to 1988 with two of my all-time favorites and two incredible talents. ❤️❤️❤️”
“Steffi Graf is looking absolutely amazing on @espn! 🇺🇸”
“Maria and Steffi Graf together! 🤩😌🎾 Interesting #PickleballSlam”
“I’m loving #pickleballslam2! It’s great to see #steffigraf competing.”
“I’ve never seen a pickleball game in my life, but I’m thoroughly enjoying this #PickleballSlam2 on the Deuce. Steffi Graf has aged incredibly well. @EspnNotices”
“It’s fantastic to see Steffi back in the spotlight, playing pickleball. And she’s excelling at it too, but come on, it’s Steffi Graf. 😊”
After her team’s victory over Team McEnroe, Steffi Graf admitted to feeling nervous before her match at Pickleball Slam 2. The 54-year-old tennis legend revealed that she experienced jitters and hadn’t felt this way in many years. Graf also mentioned that she had been practicing diligently for six months leading up to the event.
Notably, Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi defeated John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova with scores of 11-7 and 13-11. Prior to this, Graf partnered with Jack Sock to defeat Sharapova and James Blake with scores of 9-11, 11-8, and 17-15. The first match of the tournament featured Andre Agassi and Jack Sock against John McEnroe and James Blake, with Agassi and Sock winning comfortably with scores of 11-7, 9-11, and 11-8.
With these victories, Team Agassi swept Team McEnroe and claimed the $1 million prize money.