Andre Agassi And Steffi Graf’S Son: Jaden Agassi charts his own path in baseball, pitching for Team Germany in WBC qualifiers | More sports News

Jaden Agassi (File Pic: AP Photo) Jaden Agassi, the son of tennis legends Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, has never been a stranger to sports. From the moment he could walk, he had a racket in his hands, but accuracy proved elusive for the energetic youngster.”It was hard for me to keep the ball in the lines,” Agassi recalled with a laugh. “I just wanted to hit it as far as I could.”His parents, recognising his natural athleticism, enrolled him in baseball instead. Now, nearly two decades later, the 23-year-old is carving out his own athletic legacy — not on the tennis court, but on the pitching mound. This week, Agassi is representing Team Germany in the World Baseball Classic qualifiers in Tucson, Arizona. The right-handed pitcher, who grew up in Las Vegas before playing college baseball at USC, holds dual citizenship and speaks some German.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Though baseball has been growing in popularity in Germany over the years, manager Jendrick Speer was still searching for additions to the roster when he came across Agassi’s name on social media and discovered his German ties.”I found him because he’s a good baseball player,” Speer said. “With all the technology out there, we found him while researching and realised he had played in college and had citizenship. It worked out great and he’s a great guy.”Growing up in a baseball hotbed like Las Vegas, Agassi was surrounded by future Major League talent, including Bryce Harper, Kris Bryant and Bryson Stott. However, his journey to this point has not been without its challenges. He underwent Tommy John surgery in high school, forcing him to miss his junior season. Just as he was recovering, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down sports in 2020, limiting his playing time even further.File Pic – Former tennis players Steffi Graf, left, and Andre Agassi. (AP Photo)”It almost worked as a blessing in disguise,” Agassi said. “I got almost two years to rehab my Tommy John, came back strong, and then started my college career at USC.”His collegiate career was a mix of highs and lows. As a sophomore, he posted a solid 4.34 ERA with a 3-2 record, but a coaching change led to struggles in his junior year, where his ERA ballooned to 9.70. However, he bounced back last summer in MLB’s draft league, finishing with a 2.96 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 27 1/3 innings. Now, Agassi is hoping his performance with Team Germany will help him land an opportunity with an MLB franchise. His mid-90s fastball and bullpen role in the WBC qualifiers could be key to securing that next step.”It felt good to find some things that work for me,” Agassi said. “Stick on a plan and get 1% better every day.”Despite his lineage, Agassi doesn’t mind when people ask about his parents or why he chose baseball over tennis. His mother, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, and his father, an eight-time Grand Slam winner, never pressured him into following in their footsteps. Instead, they prioritised giving him a normal childhood and letting him find his own passion.One of Agassi’s earliest memories is hugging his father on the court after a big win late in his career. Now, as he takes the field with “Deutschland” emblazoned across his chest, his parents will be in the stands, proudly cheering him on.”As a kid, you’re kind of oblivious to the world,” Agassi said. “It felt completely normal to me. I got a lot of knowledge and lessons from them. Picked up a lot of things, and it’s been a blessing.”