Tennis legends Maria Sharapova and Stefanie Graf will join John McEnroe and Andre Agassi to compete for a $1 million purse in Pickleball Slam 2, which will be televised live in primetime on ESPN on Feb. 4.
The initial Pickleball Slam featured McEnroe, Agassi, Michael Chen and Andy Roddick trading racquets for paddles.
The slams are created and produced by Horizon Sports & Experiences — run by former Turner Broadcasting President David Levy and Chris Weil, former CEO of Momentum Worldwide — and InsideOut Sports & Entertainment.
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“Following the success of the inaugural Pickleball Slam, we’re excited to once again partner with and return to the Hard Rock and present Slam 2 in primetime on ESPN, an ideal time slot coming out of the network’s coverage of the NFL Pro Bowl and an NBA regular-season game,” Levy said. “It’s great to have both John and Andre return for Slam 2, In pairing them up with Stefanie and Maria, two of the greatest and most competitive players in the history of tennis, there’s sure to be no shortage of incredible action and entertaining moments on the court.”
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A highlight of Slam 2 will be a doubles match featuring the duo of McEnroe and Sharapova, who have a total of 12 Grand Slam singles titles between them, facing off against the husband-and-wife team of Agassi and Graf, who earned a combined 30 Grand Slam singles titles during their careers.
“After Andy and I took home the hardware at the first Pickleball Slam, I said I would be playing pickleball as long as I can walk — that’s how much I enjoy this game,“ Agassi said. “Naturally, I am so excited to share this experience with one of the best tennis players, my wife.”
Said Graf: “When I watched the inaugural Pickleball Slam in April and stepped onto the court, I was hooked. Andre and I can’t wait to get back out on the court together to face off against Maria and John.”
The weekend event will once again feature the Amateur Slam Challenge on Friday, February 2, and Saturday, February 3. The amateur tournament will include doubles teams competing for a cash prize and the opportunity to play against the tennis legends.
Pickleball Slam 2 will be staged at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
“We are incredibly excited to partner with Horizon Sports & Entertainment and InsideOut Sports again for the return of the Pickleball Slam to Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. The inaugural event last April was a resounding success, with Hard Rock’s desire to be entertainment first-movers paying massive dividends,” Keith Sheldon, president of entertainment for Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming, said. “It’s going be a special evening of pickleball.”
