TUCSON, Ariz. — Growing up, Jaden Agassi was surrounded by tennis, not just as a spectator but also as the son of tennis icons Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. From a very young age, he was often seen with a racket in hand. Yet, despite his love for the sport, a lack of precision presented challenges.
“I just couldn’t keep the ball inside the lines,” Agassi recalled with a chuckle. His desire to hit the ball as hard as possible often outpaced his control. Recognizing this, his parents introduced him to another sport: baseball. Fast forward about 20 years, and Agassi is carving his own path in the athletic world.
At 23, Agassi is showcasing his skills as a pitcher for Team Germany in the World Baseball Classic qualifiers taking place in Tucson, Arizona. Originally from Las Vegas, Agassi boasts a unique heritage, with an American father and a German mother, contributing to his dual citizenship. He even speaks some German.
Baseball’s popularity in Germany has seen a notable increase over recent decades. Still, the team’s manager, Jendrick Speer, was on the lookout for additional players for the WBC qualifiers when he discovered Agassi online. It was his baseball ability and his ties to Germany that made Agassi stand out.
“He caught my attention as a talented player,” Speer noted. “With today’s technology, we discovered his collegiate background and his citizenship status. It turned out to be a perfect match, and he’s a wonderful fit for our team.”
Agassi was raised in Las Vegas, an area renowned for producing baseball talents such as Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant. His parents, despite their tennis fame, did not pressure him into following their footsteps or any particular sport. They wanted him to find his own passion — and it turned out to be baseball.
Standing tall at 6-foot-3, Agassi’s baseball journey hasn’t been without hurdles. After his debut game in 2019, Agassi required Tommy John surgery, sidelining him from his junior high school season. Later, in 2020, the pandemic further disrupted his playing time.
“Surprisingly, it provided me time to fully recuperate from my surgery,” Agassi explained. “I returned stronger and embarked on my college baseball adventure at USC.”
His time with the University of Southern California Trojans was mixed. While his sophomore year was promising, featuring a 3-2 record with a 4.34 ERA, a coaching change saw him struggle his junior year. Yet, Agassi hit his stride in MLB’s draft league with a 2.96 ERA and 28 strikeouts in under 30 innings. He now aims for an opportunity with an MLB team after the WBC qualifiers.
His experience with Team Germany serves as another platform to flaunt his mid-90s fastball.
“It was rewarding to discover methods that suit my style,” he said. “I strive to improve incrementally each day.”
Despite questions about his famous parents and why tennis isn’t his chosen field, Agassi values the unique childhood he had. His mother’s 22 Grand Slam victories and his father’s eight are illustrious records, yet they have always supported his baseball ambitions. Both parents plan to support him in person as he represents Germany.
“In childhood, you’re not always aware of your surroundings,” Agassi reflected. “It felt like an ordinary life to me. I learned so much from them, and their lessons have been invaluable.”
