Andre Agassi has always been a disruptor, from his legendary tennis career to his days as one of sports’ ultimate showmen — on and off the court. And fittingly, the former No. 1 player still calls Las Vegas — America’s capital of reinvention — home. The eight-time major champion and hall of famer has watched his city evolve from a gambler’s paradise into a global entertainment and sports epicenter, now complete with an NHL, an NFL and a soon-coming MLB team.
Agassi will bring some of that high-energy Vegas magic to Pickleball Slam 3 on February 16 at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay, where he’ll compete alongside his wife and fellow legend Steffi Graf, Andy Roddick and Genie Bouchard.
In this exclusive chat with Forbes Travel Guide, Agassi opens up about his hometown pride, pickleball’s rise and why Las Vegas remains the ultimate place to dream big and make those fantasies a reality.
What do you love about your hometown, especially in 2025?
I love how we can constantly reinvent ourselves. I had to defend this city when I was 16, traveling the world and explaining to people I don’t live in a hotel. And now we’re pulling professional sports teams, which they never said we would have for gaming concern issues.
Las Vegas is constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. I could get lost in detail and talk about things like The Sphere, showing what technology’s capable of in entertainment. Las Vegas has given the world a destination to enjoy on many different levels in many different ways.
Why do you stay in Las Vegas?
It’s always about who you live with, not necessarily where you live. First and foremost, our life is here. Steffi’s mom is here. My mom, obviously, our kids are at a different age, but they come back, and we have Steffi’s brothers here, and their kids are here. We love all being together.
I love the can-do spirit of the city. New York gets a very appropriate amount of respect for its “If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere” kind of culture. And here it’s an “If you can dream it, you can figure out a way to do it” mentality.
What are your favorite spots in Las Vegas?
Well, I’m biased. I have 40 to 50 restaurants with my partner Michael Mina. We’ve built restaurants everywhere, and he just opened a new one at the [Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star] Four Seasons here, Bourbon Steak. It’s just so good. I like the way he did the acoustics in there. I get frustrated with restaurants these days, and maybe that gives away my age, but I think the older you get, the more the noise bothers you. It’s not because you can’t necessarily hear; it’s because you don’t want the noise.
I also love The Smith Center. It’s just such a great theatrical venue. And The Sphere. You see a concert there, and you wonder how you’ll ever go back to the Hollywood Bowl, so to speak. It’s like 169,000 speakers with such pinpoint accuracy that you can hear Bono whispering. It’s pretty crazy.
Do you enjoy any of the tourist attractions in Las Vegas?
When somebody comes to Vegas and asks, “What should I do?,” there are certain shows that you have to see. I mean, watching a water show on stage in a beautifully set arena or theater in the middle of a casino in the middle of a desert is just sensory overload. Wherever 50,000 people gather, I want to stay away from. But if that’s your deal, great.
The Red Rock mountains here are extraordinary. I also want to go to the Mob Museum because I know some people it talks about. I grew up in a house where somebody was related to somebody who is showcased there now.
Looking at global travel, is there a particular court or tennis experience that you’ve never done and ultimately want to one day?
Sometimes, I don’t even know if what you see on social media these days is real. But I saw a tennis court in an airplane. I don’t know if that was fake or not. But can you imagine playing tennis on an aircraft carrier?
Or playing pickleball on one. And speaking of which, let’s look ahead to Pickleball Slam 3. You’ve been a part of the first two held in South Florida. What does it mean to you that this is in your city?
It’s awesome. Mandalay Bay is just a great venue to begin with. Pickleball is the fastest-growing phenomenon I can speak of in sports. I don’t want to talk out of my knowledge base, but it’s hard to imagine any sporting activity that has grown with this intensity. So, watching it move to a bigger venue is pretty darn cool. For me, being in our backyard is extra cool.
Across the board, I think Vegas knows how to do everything, and if you question that, go to a Vegas Golden Knights game. [After that,] you’ll be convinced that all other hockey games are missing something.
Looking at the lineup of Pickleball Slam 3, it’s you, Steffi, Andy Roddick and Genie Bouchard. How do you think you’ll fare here?
I love Genie; she’s such a sweet lady. And not to mention, I have so much regard for her being one of the first tennis players to throw herself into pickleball. Andy’s a hell of a competitor, so I never take his athleticism lightly. It’s been fun growing with Stef in the game. It’s been a great outlet for us athletically and relationally. Being able to go do something together besides beat ourselves up on a tennis court has been wonderful.
So, it’s safe to say you’re a pickleball fan?
I’m a big supporter of it, and I want to grow the game, not just in the United States but globally. I’m honest with tennis. I’m honest with pickleball. Tennis is the Everest of any racket sport. And I will proudly say there’s no question about it, but I will also say that pickle offers something to so many people that you have to appreciate it.
You look at an environment with a lot of courts, and you’ll see people playing at the highest level, just doing stuff that is pretty hard to do. Then you see older people playing, and then you see generations playing, where you see 23-year-olds returning from graduating college playing with their parents. You see this mix, and have a hard time deciding who’s having the best time.
