NOTHING BEATS THE SLAM

THE PICKLEBALL SLAM
Get ready to witness the electrifying sequel of the century, The Pickleball Slam 2! Four World #1 ranked players and multi-Slam Champions will compete for a 200m purse. John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova will team up to take on Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf. They have combined for 42 Grand Slam titles – but who will take home the Pickleball Slam 2?
Join us live, and in primetime to be a part of the excitement!
New Dominance, Injuries, and Final Tour Years
After dealing with a series of injuries and losses in the intervening years, Graf came back on top in 1993, winning three of four Grand Slam events in addition to the Virginia Slims championships. She won her first French Open since 1988, and conquered Wimbledon by defeating Jana Novotná. The next year, she won the Australian Open and an assortment of tournaments across the globe. However, while competing (and winning) in San Diego, Graf aggravated a long-time back injury, and developed a bone spur at the base of her spine due to a congenital condition. From 1994 to 1996, various ailments and surgeries disrupted her career, causing her to withdraw twice from the Australian Open. Despite the setbacks, Graf still managed to win a number of titles, including Wimbledon in 1995. The final of that championship is widely recognized as one of the most exciting in women's major finals history, with a dramatic third set that involved a 16-minute long, 13-deuce game.
Graf's final tour years from 1997 to 1999 were plagued with further injuries to her knees and back, causing her to lose her world number one ranking and, for the first time in a decade, the Grand Slam title. After racking up a handful of high-profile wins, Graf finally announced her retirement from the women's tour in 1999, attributing the decision to a loss of motivation.
TUNE IN LIVE

Innovative format at this iconic event, featuring four tennis legends competing for a 200M cash purse in the fastest growing sport in America, Pickleball, live on ESPN.


FEBRUARY 4, 2024 || 8:30PM EST
THE AMATEUR SLAM
The Amateur Slam 2 will take place from February 2-3, 2024, in Miami Beach on world famous Lincoln Road at 1665 Lenox Avenue – between Michigan and Lenox Avenues. The tournament will welcome single-gender or mixed-gender doubles teams with a maximum combined DUPR rating of 8.5.
Interested players can sign up today here.


UNIQUE EXPERIENCES
VIP packages including premium events, meet and greet with players, courtside seating and more!
They were formally introduced after winning Wimbledon the same year
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Agassi had the chance to meet Graf after winning his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 1992. She won the ladies' singles tennis title at the tournament the same year. Agassi was “dying to go” to the Wimbledon Ball that he’d heard about for years because the men’s winner got to dance with the women’s winner. He even purchased a tuxedo from Harrods for the event, but was informed that the dance had been canceled.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Stefanie Maria Graf was born on June 14, 1969 in Mannheim, West Germany, the daughter of Heidi Schalk and Peter Graf. Her father was an aspiring tennis coach, introducing Graf to the game by teaching her how to wield a wooden racket at the age of three. At the age of four, she began practicing on court, and entered her first tournament when she was five. Soon enough, she was winning the top prize at numerous junior tournaments.
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(Photo by Bob Martin/Getty Images)
Graf began 1988 by defeating Chris Evert and winning the Australian Open, not losing a single set during the tournament. She then won the tournament in Berlin, defended her title at the French Open, and conquered Wimbledon by coming from behind to defeat Navratilova. Finally, upon winning the US Open, Graf took the Grand Slam title, the only such title in history completed across three surfaces: clay, hard court, and grass. The cherry on top of this honor came during the summer Olympic Games in Seoul, where Graf beat Gabriela Sabatini in the gold medal match, and became the first and only Golden Slam winner in history.

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