It's Waters vs. Agassi in a Las Vegas Pickleball 'Battle of the Sexes'

Thedink Pickleball 10 hours ago 13 views

The Pickleball Slam 4 pits tennis greats Andre Agassi and James Blake against current pickleball pros Anna Leigh Waters and Genie Bouchard for a $1 million prize purse.

It's been 52 years since Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in straight sets in the historic "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match held in the Houston Astrodome in 1973.

That marked a significant cultural moment in our country, not just in sports but across society in general. A whopping 90 million viewers reportedly tuned in worldwide to witness history.

This April, pickleball is bringing it back. The stakes may be smaller, but the prize purse is anything but: $1 million is on the line for the winning team.

The Pickleball Slam 4

This marks the fourth iteration of The Pickleball Slam, an annual event that aims to bring big names from pro pickleball and pro tennis together for a splashy exhibition event.

This year, Hall of Famer and three-time Pickleball Slam defending champion Andre Agassi teams up with Former ATP No. 4 James Blake to take on No. 1 ranked Anna Leigh Waters and former WTA No. 5 Genie Bouchard, who is ranked No. 10 on the Professional Pickleball Association Tour in Women’s Singles.

"Many people still think the top women's players couldn't beat the top men's players in any racket sport. We are ready to prove them wrong," said Anna Leigh Waters.

"Genie and I have a lot of respect for Andre and James’ legacy, but they're about to learn how hard it really is to master the sport we play for a living."

The first three Pickleball Slam events have all gone Agassi's way:

Pickleball Slam, April 2, 2023: Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick defeat Michael Chang and John McEnroe. Prize purse: $1 million
Pickleball Slam 2, February 3, 2024: Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf defeat John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova. Prize purse: $1 million
Pickleball Slam 3, February 16, 2025: Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf defeat Andy Roddick and Genie Bouchard. Prize purse: $1 million

But those were all against tennis players who took up pickleball. He's never faced anyone as young, hungry, and accomplished as Anna Leigh Waters.

For her part, ALW appears to be treating this like any other pickleball event. Eyes on the prize. No mercy.

"If Andre wants to keep that Pickleball Slam title, he’s going to have to earn it the hard way."

How to watch the action

Slam 4 will be live on ESPN in primetime at 7 p.m. EST on April 15, 2026, from Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL.

Tickets are on sale now at myhrl.com and Ticketmaster.

Select courtside VIP tickets, which include player meet-and-greets, are also available.

“I’ve had the luxury of teaming with Anna Leigh and have been blown away by her skills and commitment to excellence," said Agassi of his pro pickleball debut at April's US Open alongside Waters.

"Facing off against these two great athletes won’t be easy, fortunately I’ve been playing racket sports longer than they’ve been alive!”

More event details can be found here.

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