Rennae Stubbs has criticized John McEnroe and other former players for agreeing to participate in the first-ever Pickleball Slam event, accusing them of playing only for money. The Pickleball Slam, to be held at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida on April 2nd, will feature McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Michael Chang. Despite a cash prize of $1 million to be divided among the winners, Stubbs has claimed that the players consider the sport to be “a joke and embarrassing.”
Matches at the Pickleball Slam
At the event, there will be two singles encounters: McEnroe will face Agassi, while Roddick will go up against Chang. In the doubles category, McEnroe and Chang will team up to compete against Agassi and Roddick.
McEnroe’s Disparaging Remarks
Recently, Stubbs shared an interview in which McEnroe expressed his disdain for the growth of pickleball, stating, “If I hear one more time that pickleball is the fastest-growing sport, I’m gonna throw up. I don’t enjoy it. Tennis is my game.” He also questioned the sport’s potential for being great on television, comparing it to watching ping-pong. Nevertheless, McEnroe acknowledged that people have started watching tennis due to their interest in pickleball, expressing hope that it could be a “win-win” for both sports.
Previous Negative Comments by McEnroe
In a conversation with ABC News Radio last September, McEnroe shared his thoughts on the fast-growing sport of pickleball. While he admitted to playing with his friends, he said he believed the game “sucked” and argued that tennis is a far better sport.
