The son of tennis legends Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf is determined to make his own mark in the world of sports, but not in tennis. Jaden Agassi, the eldest son of the celebrated tennis duo, is carving out a career in baseball.
Andre Agassi, 54, an American tennis icon, boasts eight Grand Slam titles and is among a select group of players who have achieved a career Grand Slam. Steffi Graf, 55, is equally celebrated, having won 22 Grand Slam women’s singles titles and held the world No.1 ranking for a record 377 weeks. She stands alone as the only player, male or female, to have won each major singles tournament at least four times.
Despite his parents’ towering achievements in tennis, their 23-year-old son, Jaden, has chosen a different sporting path: baseball.
In an interview with WKBN News, Jaden Agassi acknowledged the strong tennis association with his last name. He stated, “Agassi is definitely a tennis name. My goal is to establish it in baseball.”
Although he played tennis in his youth, Jaden’s true passion lies in baseball. He is now set to represent Germany, his mother’s native country, in international baseball competitions.
Jaden Agassi has joined Team Germany for the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, aiming for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The qualifiers began on February 21st and continue until March 6th.
Speaking to MLB.com, Jaden expressed his excitement about playing for Germany, calling it a childhood dream to compete internationally. He aims to make his mother and Germany proud.
Jaden has developed into a promising pitcher. He showcased his skills in the 2024 MLB Draft League, achieving a 2.96 earned run average and earning the title of Player of the Week on July 8th. While his college stats were not exceptional, his potential is evident.
He has admitted that tennis was not his forte, as keeping the ball in play was a challenge. Baseball captured his heart from an early age. “I started playing baseball at six,” he said. “I’ve tried tennis, but I always struggled to keep the ball within the lines. I just wanted to hit the ball as hard as possible. Baseball was my first love.”
Reflecting on his pitching development, Jaden mentioned that he entered college as a raw talent but benefited greatly from the coaching at the University of Southern California, where he learned the nuances of pitching.
Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf married in 2001 and have another child, a younger daughter Jaz, born in 2003.
Germany, ranked 17th when the tournament draw was set, will compete in Arizona starting March 2nd against China, followed by games against Brazil and Colombia.
The USA team has already qualified for the tournament and previously won the World Championship in 2017.
