New Delhi, Aug 30 : Eight-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 tennis player Andre Agassi is set to visit India in January 2025 to flag off the PWR DUPR Indian Tour & League, a grand tour that promises to bring the thrill of competitive pickleball to India.

The Indian Tour & League follows the recent announcement of the new rankings structure announced by Pickleball World Rankings (PWR) as well as PWR World Tour and PWR World Series.

Agassi, known for his illustrious tennis career with eight Grand Slam singles titles, including four Australian Opens, a French Open, a Wimbledon, and two US Opens, as well as a gold medal in men's singles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, expressed his excitement to be part of this venture.

In a special video message for his Indian fans, Agassi said, "I'm excited to visit India and bring the excitement of pickleball to its fans. I look forward to the PWR DUPR Indian Tour & League and hope it will be a great success in the country."

Commenting on Agassi's upcoming visit, Pranav Kohli, CEO and Founder of PWR, said, "We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Andre Agassi to India as he flags off the PWR DUPR Indian Tour & League. His involvement brings a tremendous boost to our efforts to promote pickleball in India and globally. Agassi's passion for the game and his legendary status in the world of sports will surely inspire players and fans alike, and we are confident that this league will set new benchmarks for pickleball in India."

Notably, ahead of the PWR DUPR Indian Tour & League, the PWR DUPR India Masters (including Battle of the League: Stage 1), a one off PWR 700 event will take place in New Delhi from October 24 to 27.

The Battle of the Leagues is a unique PWR concept featuring team-based competition for amateurs. Event partners include DUPR, Minor League Pickleball, Pickleball United, FansPlay, the Indian Pickleball Association, the Asian Pickleball Association, and the Global Pickleball Federation. In addition to the USD 50,000 prize money, the winning teams in each category of the Battle of the Leagues will secure a spot in the DUPR Nationals in the USA, with PWR covering their travel and accommodation expenses.

Last month, the Pickleball World Rankings (PWR), the PWR World Series (PWS), and the PWR World Tour were launched in Dubai, with the GCC announced as the host region for the first PWR World Series in February 2025.

All the PWR DUPR events are sanctioned by the Indian Pickleball Association (the apex pickleball body in India), the Asian Pickleball Association, and the Global Pickleball Federation (the rule-making and official world governing body of pickleball).

/IANS