KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 — Despite its booming global popularity, tennis legend Andre Agassi says pickleball remains in its “infancy”, with vast room for growth — particularly in emerging markets like Malaysia.

Speaking at the JOOLA Titans Tour here, Agassi said the sport’s rapid rise in recent years should not be mistaken for maturity, noting that its global development is only just beginning.

“It’s still at its infancy,” he said.

“I think when you look at it globally, the room for growth is remarkable.”

Pickleball, which surged in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, has quickly established itself as one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, driven largely by its accessibility and social appeal.

For Agassi, that accessibility lies at the heart of its success.

“This came into our life as one of the only good things that came out of the pandemic,” he said.

“We took our kids out looking for something to do… and we found that we could actually do it with them.”

The American great said the sport’s ability to bring together people across generations and backgrounds is one of its defining strengths.

“It breaks down generational barriers, gender barriers, cultural barriers,” he said.

“And I think the growth is only just beginning.”

Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam champion visiting Malaysia for the first time beyond a brief airport stopover, said he was encouraged by the level of local interest and enthusiasm despite the sport still developing in the region.

“Just seeing the turnout and seeing the excitement, it’s wonderful,” he said.

While participation in Asia continues to grow, Agassi noted that pickleball’s global expansion remains uneven, with different regions at varying stages of development — reinforcing his view of strong untapped potential.

“I think this is a perfect example of it,” he said, referring to Malaysia and the broader Asian market.

The 55-year-old also dismissed suggestions that pickleball’s rise could threaten tennis, saying both sports can coexist and benefit each other.

“I don’t see it as a zero-sum game,” he said.

“Tennis and pickle can exist in the same sandbox.

“There have been many instances where clubs were struggling for memberships, but once they added pickleball courts adjacent to tennis courts, both benefited as increased memberships trickled down to tennis as well.

“And people are showing up and paying, and the tennis courts stay alive, so we do not need to focus on one sport — they complement each other.”

Agassi reiterated that pickleball’s low barrier to entry remains its biggest advantage.

“Nobody’s intimidated to try,” he said.

“You can get better every ten minutes, and you never really stop improving.”

The JOOLA Titans Tour runs today and tomorrow at Stadium Juara in Mont Kiara, with an exhibition match atop Merdeka 118 scheduled for tonight after 8.30pm where Agassi will face world No. 1 pickleball player Ben Johns. The match will be streamed live on Astro’s YouTube channel.