By Chris Oddo | Tuesday, December 2, 2014

 

After his first IPTL appearance in Singapore, Andre Agassi talked about the allure of the league and gave a thumbs up.

Photo Source: Getty/Agassi Foundation for Education

Andre Agassi is enjoying his time in Singapore, representing the Singapore Slammers of the International Premier Tennis League. The eight-time Grand Slam champion had good things to say about the league’s format and the rousing support that it has been getting from the fans in Asia during the early days of its inaugural season.

2014 in Review: Best Selfies | Under-20 Moments

“There’s a lot of upsides in doing this for me,” Agassi said after the Slammers lost to the Manila Mavericks on Tuesday in Singapore. “Watching the sport go places where I believe there should be tennis, enthusiastic fans, bringing it to them in a format that I believe is motivational to the next generation, to these communities and cities. It’s a win for them, it’s great for the players, acting like a team out there, you want it bad but you’re also relaxed trying to keep your team relaxed. It’s a fun environment for us, you get to see so many matchups, the games played in different ways, it’s also good for the future of the sport.”

Agassi, who fell 6-3 to Mark Phillippoussis in the Past Champion’s singles, says that he thinks the league is headed for better things.

“I think this will grow, because next year they’ll know what to expect and their enthusiasm will grow and their knowledge will translate into enthusiasm,” he said.

Though Agassi doesn’t see the single-set, mixed-gender team format supplanting tennis’s current status quo of single-elimination tournaments, he does believe that the IPTL and similar events should be a necessary supplement to the fan experience of tennis.

“Can you ever say that the pillars of the sport will morph into this, that’s a stretch, we’re a sport of great tradition, nor do I think it necessarily should, but this needs to be a supplement to it in my opinion,” Agassi said. “I think it’s a great release for the players and a great opportunity for the players to communicate their personality a little bit more. It’s great for fans and places who don’t get to see it up close. I think there are too many wins not to find a place in the year for those who choose to do it. I don’t think this is about a longer season for tennis, because you don’t have to do it, but the players are realizing it’s a heck of a lot of fun. Feedback I got from the players today is that it’s a lot of fun and they love doing it, they were really enthusiastic about it and I understand why.”