Steffi Graf has shared insights into her preparation for Pickleball Slam 2, highlighting the challenges she encountered during the transition to the sport.
Teaming up with husband Andre Agassi for a much-anticipated match against John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova, Graf acknowledged the difficulty of adapting to pickleball, especially after years of tennis conditioning.
Despite Agassi’s praise for her quick learning curve, Graf admitted to struggling with ‘unlearning’ certain tennis habits, particularly the need for a more patient and strategic approach demanded by pickleball.
Reflecting on her tennis instincts, Graf explained, “I tend to want to keep my feet moving. That’s what I learned in tennis. My mind knows what I should be doing, but my body is not quite ready to let that tennis mind go.” She expressed the challenge of adjusting her competitive mindset, emphasizing her desire to balance enjoyment with competition.
“I have a bit of a hard time getting back into that [competitive] mode. I want to enjoy it. I love the challenge of it. I do like the competition, but I also don’t want to get too competitive,” Graf shared ahead of the event scheduled for Sunday, February 4, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood in Florida.
