Andre Agassi was famous for pushing the boundaries of tennis fashion. Now that he’s taken up pickleball, it begs the question: what does he think of the fashion in America’s fastest-growing sport?

After all, fashion on the men’s side could certainly benefit from a bit of Agassi’s experimentation and playfulness.

"I never did anything with the intention of looking good on the court," said Agassi. "My whole thing was rebellion, so if people thought it was something that shouldn’t be worn on a tennis court, I embraced it." 

The clearest embodiment of this spirit was Agassi’s original denim shorts paired with a white polo at the 1988 US Open—a look that shocked both the tennis and fashion worlds alike.

While there have been moments of rebellion on the pro pickleball court, they often come across as more silly than stylish. From JW Johnson’s cow-print pants to Dylan Frazier and Dekel Bar’s "Big D’s" T-shirts, and Frazier’s SpongeBob looks, the statements feel playful, but not in a way that necessarily elevates pickleball as an elite professional sport.

What pickleball needs now is less novelty and more high fashion, perhaps with a nod to denim.

"I love Tyson [McGuffin]’s vibe, but we gotta shake things up a little bit," insisted Agassi. "There’s a lot of ways to do it. If I had some legs and I was younger, I’d get out there and at least bring some spice and get people talking."

McGuffin embodies a rebellious, cool aesthetic, mullet and all. So it’s no surprise Agassi views him as the one who could elevate the men’s fashion game.

Still, the question remains: if Agassi brought that rebellious style to the pickleball court himself, what would he wear?

"I would definitely push the parameters of what’s already out there, and I think I’d wear something that’s baggy," he confirmed. "I like when it looks like I’m moving fast because the wind’s blowing. I like the looseness and the freedom of movement in oversized and baggy clothes. I like when a look has a lot of movement to it."

And would he bring denim back?

“Absolutely, especially now that there’s some great denim out there that’s so comfortable now," he insisted. "It’s the kind that looks like denim, but it doesn’t feel like denim."

With the evolution and elevation of athletic fabrics and silhouettes, there’s little excuse not to raise the standard of men’s pro pickleball fashion.

Jorja Johnson, a regular on best dressed lists, noted that in the current men’s fashion scene, all it takes to stand out is to avoid black, white, gray, or red. The bar is obviously set quite low.

Agassi has expressed a similar sentiment. We all want to see men’s pro pickleball fashion elevated. While players like Gabe Joseph and Michael Loyd are already making strides, many more have the potential to step up.

You don’t need a mullet or denim Nike shorts to make an impact, but it would certainly be memorable.

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