Andre Agassi to inaugurate Indian Pickleball Tour and League
Andre Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one will visit India in January 2025. His visit aims to inaugurate the PWR DUPR Indian Tour and League, a key event promoting pickleball in the country. This comes after Pickleball World Rankings (PWR) introduced a new rankings structure and launched the PWR World Tour and PWR World Series. Here's more about his visit.
Agassi expresses excitement about Indian tour
In a video message, Agassi expressed his enthusiasm about his upcoming visit to India and the prospect of introducing pickleball to its fans. He stated, "I'm excited to visit India and bring the excitement of pickleball to its fans. I look forward to the PWR DUPR Indian Tour and League and hope it will be a great success in the country."
PWR founder welcomes Agassi's involvement in Indian tour
PWR's CEO and founder, Pranav Kohli, expressed his excitement about Agassi's participation in the upcoming event. He stated that Agassi's involvement significantly enhances their efforts to promote pickleball both in India and globally. Kohli believes Agassi's passion and legendary status will inspire players and fans, raising the bar for pickleball in India.
PWR DUPR India Masters to precede main event
The PWR DUPR India Masters will be held in New Delhi from October 24 to 27 ahead of the main event in January. This includes "Battle of the League: Stage 1," a PWR 700 event. The Battle of the Leagues is an exciting team competition for amateur pickleball players, supported by partners like Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR), Minor League Pickleball, Pickleball United, FansPlay, the Indian Pickleball Association, the Asian Pickleball Association and the Global Pickleball Federation.
Battle of the Leagues winners to compete in the US
The top team in each category of the Battle of the Leagues will earn a spot in the DUPR Nationals in the US. PWR is expected to cover their travel and accommodation costs. The tournament features a total prize pool of $50,000 (approximately Rs. 42 lakh). All PWR DUPR events are officially sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association, Asian Pickleball Association, and Global Pickleball Federation.
Andre Agassi's illustrious career
Agassi's stellar achievements include winning four Australian Open titles, a French Open and Wimbledon each in addition to two US Open titles. He has also won a gold medal in men's singles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. As per ATP, Agassi captured 60 singles titles and one doubles title in his 21-year professional career. His career singles won-loss record was 870-274. The American is the second of five men in the Open Era to achieve the Career Grand Slam.
