Agassi to play in pro pickleball event

Andre Agassi collected two of his eight Grand Slam tennis titles at the U.S. Open and now he’ll be competing at a different racket event with that name. Agassi, who retired from professional tennis in 2006, will line up alongside teenager Anna Leigh Waters in the mixed pro division at the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships next week in Naples, Florida. Agassi, who turns 55 next week, has participated in made-for-TV pickleball exhibitions with other former tennis players. This will be his first pro pickleball appearance. He won the tennis U.S. Open in 1994 and 1999, completed a career Grand Slam by winning at least one championship at each of that sport’s majors and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2011. It was announced earlier this month that Agassi will be a studio analyst for TNT Sports during the semifinals and finals at the French Open this year. Pickleball is a mix of tennis and ping pong that uses paddles and a wiffleball. It quickly rose from nearly nothing to more than 13 million players in the United States in just a few years.

Biles undecided on ’28 LA Olympics

Simone Biles is unsure whether she will compete at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. For now, the most decorated gymnast of all-time has other priorities and is listening to her body, too. “I’m really trying to enjoy life, to spend time with my husband (Bears safety Jonathan Owens), go support him at his games, live my life as a woman,” she said in an interview with French sports daily L’Equipe published on Tuesday a day after she was named sportswoman of the year at the Laureus Awards in Madrid. “I’ve accomplished so much in my sport. For me to come back, it would really have to excite me.” The 28-year-old will be in LA for the Games but doesn’t yet know in which capacity. “Whether on the apparatus or in the stands, I still don’t know,” she told L’Equipe. “2028 seems so far away, and my body is aging.” Biles won three gold medals and a silver at the Paris Olympics, taking her career tally to seven golds and 11 medals overall. But her body cracked from the strain. “I went back to the village ... and my body literally collapsed. I was sick for 10 days,” Biles said.

Legge says she’s getting death threats

NASCAR driver Katherine Legge said she has been receiving “hate mail” and “death threats” from auto racing fans after she was involved in a crash that collected veteran driver Kasey Kahne during the Xfinity Series race last weekend at Rockingham. Legge, who has started four Indy 500s but is a relative novice in stock cars, added during Tuesday’s episode of her podcast that “the inappropriate social media comments I’ve received aren’t just disturbing, they are unacceptable.” “Let me be very clear,” the British driver said, “I’m here to ... compete, and I won’t tolerate any of these threats to my safety or dignity, whether that’s on track or off of it.” Legge became the first woman in seven years to start a Cup race earlier this year at Phoenix. But her debut in NASCAR’s top series ended when Legge, who had already spun once, was involved in another spin and collected Daniel Suarez. The 44-year-old Legge believes the vitriol she has received on social media is indicative of a larger issue with women in motorsports. “Luckily,” she said, “I have been in tougher battles than you guys in the comment sections.” —AP