“I Can’t Wait”- Venus Williams Becomes the Latest Addition to Join the Pickle-Ball Hype Train

Pickleball has been ruling the American sporting community for a while now. Recently, on 2nd April, the Pickleball Slam was played by some of the finest former tennis players – John McEnroe, Michael Chang, Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi. Many more tennis players have a newfound interest in Pickleball. Among them, Venus Williams, sister of WTA icon Serena Williams, is the newest famous face to have succumbed to the trend.

Venus Williams hops on to the pickleball-wagon

Besides having a successful career in tennis, the two sisters have warmed up well to the sport of pickleball. Recently, Serena Williams posted a video on her Instagram handle. In the video, she thanked the renowned American actor Jamie Fox for gifting a signed pickleball paddle to both sisters.

She joked, “I finally got my paddle, Jamie. That only took three months, but finally got it.” The 42-year-old Venus joined the party by stating, “Shots Fired,” on Serena Williams’ post. 

The seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams is on the verge of a comeback after a hamstring injury that she suffered at the 2023 ASB Classic in Auckland. She also evidently has a thing for pickleball. Recently, in a Q/A session on her Instagram, she stated that her priority has always been tennis. Presently, she is focusing on the prestigious upcoming Wimbledon tournament, which is reportedly going to start in June. However, she expressed her interest in playing pickleball in the near future.

READ MORE: Tennis Veteran Venus Williams Painfully Harks Back to the Time When Sister Serena Williams Humiliated Her On-Court – ‘Not the Best Feeling..’

One of her anonymous fans asked, “I notice you had a pickleball paddle. Do you play?” Responding to the question, Venus replied, “Someone gave one to me but I haven’t played yet. I can’t wait to! Getting back on the court is a priority. But I played padel today!”

Given the sport’s increasing popularity, it isn’t hard to imagine why so many tennis stars are picking up the paddle. The recent Pickleball Slam is a case in point.

A memorable moment was shared at the recent Pickleball Slam

On 2nd April, during Pickleball Slam, former tennis player and wife of Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, was asked about the game and how she compared with her husband at the sport. She answered the question in Agassi’s favor, “I would prefer to be on his side,” she commented. Agassi, following his wife’s comment, burst into laughter.

Soon after that, John McEnroe, who was playing against Agassi and Andy Roddick, joined the couple and demanded that Graf play on his side. McEnroe’s idea was to play Graf against her husband. When Graf stepped onto the court, there were peals of laughter and applause from the audience.

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Unlike the case of Agassi and his wife, the Williams sisters’ fans have to wait for some more time to be able to watch them sharing a pickleball court. What are your thoughts on the popularity of the sport? Share your views and name who you want to see holding a paddle in the comments below!