KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 – For Christian Didier Chin, the moment wasn’t just about pickleball — it was about finally seeing a childhood icon up close.
“I don’t think anyone expected him to jump into pickleball and take it to the next level,” Chin said, still visibly struck by the presence of Andre Agassi.
“It’s his charisma… his character. That’s what’s driving this,” said the local tennis ace now turned padel pro.
For Chin, 25, who once wore Agassi’s signature shoes as a young player, the impact goes beyond nostalgia. The American great’s pivot into pickleball, he said, is already inspiring a new generation locally.
“It gave more motivation for Malaysian players to want to play… to become something bigger,” he added, even suggesting that as young as seven, kids today have a “good opportunity” to shine in the sport.
That “Agassi effect” was on full display when the eight-time Grand Slam winner stepped into the venue The Hood, alongside world No. 1 Ben Johns, drawing over 100 fans into an intimate but electric setting.
Among them was Olympic badminton silver medallist Goh Liu Ying, 36, who has since traded smashes for paddles.
“Picking up is easier,” she said, comparing it to badminton’s steep technical demands. “Badminton, you need your smashes, drops, lobs… but pickleball, the barrier to entry is lower. Shots are mostly below the waist and while there nuances it’s pretty simple to learn,” she told Malay Mail.
More than that, she sees the sport thriving because of its social pull.
“I will say it’s more social,” she added, noting she has already begun introducing it to children through the Kidlympics programme.
“That’s why one of the reasons we decided to include pickleball in the Kidlympics this year was to see how popular the sport is among these under-12s. Traditional sports like ping pong and badminton have a following and the sport has its structure, but pickleball is growing so we’d like to see what the response is like.
“Either way it’s good that you have many sports around you to enjoy.”
If Agassi is the global face of the movement, then venues like The Hood are its local heartbeat — and few places capture the sport’s new-age appeal quite like it.
Owned by Low Juan Shen, 32, a former national badminton player in doubles, the sprawling centre is as much lifestyle hub as it is sporting arena. Once an abandoned exhibition space left empty for nearly seven years, Low has transformed it into a sleek, high-ceilinged playground of courts, cafés and conversation starters.
Step inside and it feels less like a traditional sports hall and more like a curated social space — polished floors, thoughtfully designed corners, and yes, even “five-star” toilets that have become a talking point among visitors. It’s the kind of place where people don’t just come to play, but to be seen.
“I think pickleball is really picking up among social players,” Low said.
“If you start with pickleball, it’s easier… at least you can hit first.”
That accessibility, he believes, is key — but it’s the lifestyle around it that keeps people coming back.
“Everyone dresses up, very Instagrammable… you got gang, you got group, you got the social aspect,” he said.
“Badminton is more pure sport. People come, they play, then they go.”
The Hood itself only opened its doors in December, born out of circumstance as much as vision after Low suffered an injury and began rethinking how sport could be experienced.
What followed was an ambitious rebuild: multiple pickleball courts, badminton as a nod to Malaysia’s roots, upcoming padel courts, tennis simulators and even indoor tennis spots still under renovation — all housed within a massive, once-forgotten space that previously hosted trade fairs before falling silent.
For newcomers worried about breaking into the scene, Low insists the barrier is as low as the net.
“Just join the community group,” he said, referring to an active WhatsApp chat that organises daily social games.
“Who want to join, put their name… strangers can come and play.”
And while hardcore pickleball fans may idolise Johns, Low knows who delivers the bigger punch with the public.
“Ben is actually super popular among the social players and he is good, likeable too but to be honest, more people know Agassi,” he said with a laugh.
“If you say Ben Johns, pickleball people will know. But Agassi… everybody reacts.”
It is that blend — global star power and local community — that is fuelling pickleball’s surge in Malaysia.
Agassi along with a host of top players like Ben, Tyson McGuffin, Collin Johns, Anna Bright, Federico Staksrud, Brooke Buckner, Kate Fahey and Len Yang, Andie Dikosavljevic, Ken Tam, Kenta Miyoshi and Aiko Yoshitomi are all in Malaysia for two days to promote the tour and sport.
Goh and Andie partnered to play several matches with the fans while Christian and Ben played against each other with their respective partners. All matches were up to three points so more fans could participate.
