The Pickleball Slam 3 is the ultimate paddle/racquet sports crossover event. It crosses the streams between tennis and pickleball and it even has a little touch of WWE wrestling. And it’s a special event that has it all. Retired tennis players coming back for one more match. A pickleball revenge story line. On court theatrics. And of course, some killer pickleball.
In its third year, the Pickleball Slam 3 did not disappoint. The greatest tennis legends came back for another all-star event competing for $1 Million in Las Vegas.
In this article, we will cover the big questions. Did the Pickleball SLAM 3 exceed the success of previous events? How did Agassi and Graf perform? And was the event worthy of watching? The Bros recap some highlights, epic moments and standout performances from the Pickleball Slam 3.
Let’s kick it in.
Key Takeaways:
- Agassi & Graf’s $1M Victory at Pickleball Slam 3: The tennis legends secured their third consecutive title in Las Vegas in an Epic Battle. Showing the world, they still dominate the court.
- Roddick’s Revenge Storyline & Shenanigans: Andy Roddick returned as the McEnroe fill-in, providing attitude on the court. Fueled by his revenge storyline to settle the score with Agassi, it was Pickleball theatre in prime time.
- Bouchard Steals the Spotlight in Mixed Doubles: Despite media criticism, Eugenie Bouchard shined with sharp skills and energy, making her one to watch after her performance at Pickleball Slam 3.
Pickleball Slam 3
The Pickleball Slam 3 2025 was held at Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas on the 16th of February, 2025. The venue was close to a 12,000 capacity sell out. And likely 1 million+ viewers streaming the event live to catch the Pickleball action.
Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf returned to defend their title. And Agassi came back to claim his “three-peat” championship, having won both Slam 1 and 2.
The tennis power couple came equipped with their own signature paddles. They are both great for the sport, as they continue to convert aging tennis players and fans to Pickleball.
With Big mouth McEnroe not playing this year, Andy Roddick stepped up to be the angry guy with attitude. While Maria Sharapova stepped aside for part-time pickleballer Eugenie Bouchard, ready to fill her shoes for Slam 3.
With the stars ready, let’s take a look at the format and the venue of Pickleball Slam 3.
The Slam 3 Format and Venue
The Pickleball Slam 3 had an interesting format. It was a best of 3 matches, where the first 2 matches can result in 1 point each. The third mixed doubles match was worth 2 points. And in the event of a tie, a dream breaker would take place.
The matches schedule is outlined below.
- Mens Singles: Andre Agassi Vs Andy Roddick (1 point)
- Mixed Doubles: Steffi Graf/Mardy Fish VS Eugenie Bouchard/John Isner (1 Point)
- Mixed Doubles: Andre Agassi/Steffi Graf VS Andy Roddick/Eugenie Bouchard (2 Points)
- Dream Breaker (Agassi Vs Roddick and Fish Vs Isner Tie-breaker)
It was an interesting choice, that Graf and Bouchard didn’t play singles and they played mixed doubles with (to be blunt) two guys we have never heard of.
The Dream breaker was in the event a the scoring results in a tie after game 3 and then a Dream Breaker with just the men would take place. Another interesting choice.
The Slam 3 Rules
The Rules were pretty standard for a Pickleball tournament.
- The teams played Best of 3 games, up to 15 points
- Rally scoring system and you can only win a game on your serve.
Impressions of the Pickleball Slam 3
The Pickleball Slam 3 was a lot of fun. From the players being announced onto the court like a Vegas Boxing match, to the super slick court.
The coverage was very tennis-like with the commentating style and slow-motion replays. The camera angle was from a high corner of the court. Sometimes you couldn’t see a player return a serve. But overall, the cameras worked and picked up most of the shots clearly.
The Slam 3 had a different feel to a bright and breezy pickleball match. The court was darker, the players mostly wore black. But the mood was light. The players were having fun, all wearing a microphone so the audience could hear their on court commentary.
Roddick was quick to start his McEnroe-light impersonations. He gave attitude to the umpires and questioned their calls repeatedly. Meanwhile, Roddick’s motivation to play in the Slam 3 was explained to the fans. Poor Andy was playing in Pickleball Slam 3 after he was dumped in Slam 2 by his hero, Andre Agassi. And he wanted to get… revenge.
The match was a lot of fun. It was engaging, great to watch and funny at times. It really was a crossover event, meaning tennis fans could watch these ex-tennis pros and think, hey, I can play that. I can get involved in that sport.
The Bros enjoyed the vibe, the format and the players. It was new but felt familiar, and it worked. All we needed was the players to deliver some Pickleball action.
The Action on the Court
Every match at the Slam were great to watch. Here are some detailed highlights of the matches and the players.
1. Agassi Vs Roddick
OMG, the Bros love Agassi. He is such a classic player and he has an amazing story. So you can imagine, seeing Agassi peel out a cross-court winner in Pickleball is wonderful to watch. Agassi still has it, and his match against Roddick was great for those moments. To see Agassi transpose his skill and former glory to a pickleball court. It was soooo good.
Roddick played well, even though he stepped into the kitchen multiple times. And he confessed to sucking at the net, he was entertaining and played pretty well.
2. Graf Vs Bouchard (and 2 other guys)
The Bros were a little disappointed that Graf didn’t play singles against Bouchard. They played mixed doubles with Fish and Isner. As the match progressed, you could see Graf was good, but Bouchard would have outplayed her if they played singles. But it would have been amazing to see that singles match.
The other two men (Fish and Isner) were good players, but Bouchard stole the show. The media presents her as a failure in tennis and pickleball, but she really was great to watch. And the Bros look forward to seeing more of her on the pickleball court. Bouchard was energetic, and her pickleball experience and training shone through. She had some nice moves on the court and the Bros will now officially call themselves Bouchard fans…officially.
3. Agassi/Graf Vs Roddick/Bouchard
The mixed doubles match between Agassi/Graf and Roddick/Bouchard was amazing to watch. At times, it was like a mexican shoot out, with fast volleys and footwork. The tennis champs were warmed up and really playing some nice pickleball. And some of those rallies were spectacular, with the crowd oohing and ahh-ing throughout.
One memorable rally had Agassi give his wife a smooch on the court in celebration of winning the point. The perks of having your wife play on your team. Another great moment had Bouchard and Roddick save 3 championship points. They then came back and won the game to kick off a dream breaker to decide the championship. This was tense stuff and great to watch.
Pickleball Slam 3 Tournament Result
The Dream Breaker became the Dream Maker, as Agassi and Graf claimed the Pickleball Slam 3 win. Agassi, walking away as the three-peat champ, and remaining king of the hill, in place to take on a new challenger next year.
Unfortunately, there was no real fanfare at the end of the broadcast. No trophy, or speeches, there was some confetti, some quick words and that was it. Another five minutes of celebrations and even handing over an oversized $1 Million dollar cheque would have been nice. But the abrupt end didn’t spoil what was a really fun match.
The event was worth watching, especially for players with an affinity and connection with Agassi and his good old days on the tennis court.
Takeaway for Pickleball Fans
The Pickleball Slam 3 was so much fun to watch, and stirred up some interesting feelings on the event. If you replaced Agassi and Graf with unknown players, would the Slam have been as enjoyable? Maybe, maybe not.
The reason the Bros tuned in and enjoyed the show so much was our connection to the players, their personality and their history. Agassi and Graf are legends of tennis, and the audience (like the Bros) were invested because of who they are, and our feelings towards those players.
Those connections added another layer of depth and enjoyment to the Pickleball Slam 3. And it reminded the Bros about some new connections they made. Specifically after watching Tyson McGuffin at the AO Pickleball Slam and the Proton Australia Pickleball Open 2025.
By watching more players, learning their stories and enjoying their games, the Bros think it’s possible to make Agassi level connections with Pickleball players too. The audience never just love the game. We love the players of the game, we follow their careers and enjoy their wins.
While events like the Pickleball Slam 3 are great to get more people interested in Pickleball, Pickleball needs it’s own Agassi and Graf and Roddick and even McEnroe, to give the audience someone to love and follow.
And when Pickleball audiences make those connections, Pickleball will really take off. And It will explode…..
Final Wrap: Pickleball Slam 3
Pickleball Slam 3 was so much fun and 100% worth watching. The Bros enjoyed every second of seeing Andre Agassi on the court again. And we believe that Eugenie Bouchard was amazing to watch too. The game was exciting, funny and just a great time for any pickleballer to sit back and enjoy.
The Bros recommend you get a Kayo subscription or find a replay online, and check out Pickleball Slam 3. Invite your pickleball loving pals around and share the experience.
And you better believe the Bros will be there for Slam 4 in 2026. Oh baby.
Pickle On.
The Aussie Pickleball Bros.