Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf‘s son, Jaden, will pitch for Germany’s baseball team in the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers in Tucson, Arizona in March. Choosing baseball over tennis, the sport of his famous parents, Jaden previously played at USC and in the MLB Draft League. He’s representing Germany due to his mother’s German roots. If Germany qualifies, he’ll play in the main tournament in 2026.
Despite his parents, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, being tennis legends with a combined 30 Grand Slam titles, Jaden Agassi chose baseball over tennis.
“Agassi is a very tennis-oriented last name. The goal is to try to make it known in baseball,” he had told WKBN, a local Ohio television channel.
“I had a growth spurt in high school and started throwing harder, which is when coaches began to notice me. I felt I had a future in this sport.”
Even though his baseball career started strong, Jaden Agassi faced numerous obstacles. A 2019 arm injury, coupled with the pandemic, caused him to miss playing time and fall behind other players. Undeterred, he continued his development, playing baseball at USC from 2021 to 2023.
“I started playing baseball when I was six years old in T-ball,” Agassi told MLB.com.
“I loved it. I’ve picked up a tennis racket a good amount, but it was always hard for me to keep that ball in between the lines. I just wanted to hit that thing as far as I could. Baseball had my love since day one.
Story continues below this ad
“I’ve got to give the edge to my dad,” Jaden said.
“He did a Nike commercial way back where he’s taking batting practice at Fenway, which is funny. He treats it like a backhand and crushes it.
“I think I’m a lot like my mom in the sense of my composure,” Agassi said.
“I’ve always been just very composed and cool, calm and collected out there. I try to have a short memory. My mindset is the next pitch is the most important one.”
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
