“That’s good, baby!” It’s a phrase you don’t typically hear at a pro tennis match—but it’s endearing when it comes from tennis superstar Andre Agassi to his equally famous wife, Steffi Graf. The duo faced off with another top tennis pair, Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters, in a mixed-doubles match during the “Grand Slam Weekend” at The Breakers Palm Beach in late March.
The celebrity fanfare was centered around the premiere of the luxe oceanfront hotel’s new $12 million tennis and racquet complex, an open-air dream where palm trees wave in the winds like applause. Officiated by comedian Michael Kosta, the match often felt more like a comedy show mixed with incredible tennis, with jokes volleyed faster than tennis balls at the net as the iconic players took jabs at themselves and each other.
“I’m the only broke person in Palm Beach,” quipped Roddick after Agassi said he was going to “break him” on the next serve.
“These guys had great banter,” Graf said after the match, adding, “It helped us relax a little bit. It’s not very often we get out on the court.”
Elite Racquet Sports As Only The Breakers Can Do
What the tennis greats didn’t joke about is The Breakers’ new elite racquet digs, located across the street from the resort, which flaunt 16 open-air courts in a casually-chic setting that’s worthy of the resort’s grand aesthetics. (It’s the kind of resort where the over-the-top lobby entrance flowers, which are freshened daily, are a main character and demand a picture.)
The complex includes three surfaces for play, including four grass courts, six clay courts and two hard courts, along with two pickleball courts and two padel courts (padel will launch at the end of April). The sprawling facility is fitted with player indulgences, such as a stretching deck for warm-ups or post play, and comfort stations by every court for refreshment and relaxation. There’s even sustainable LED lighting for those who want to hit the courts after dark, and open-air covers to protect one from the sun while playing pickleball or tennis.
In true Breakers’ style, the resort is the first in the world to install CapillaryFlow hydroponic grass courts—which use underground irrigation and oxygen control for optimal growing and playing conditions—taking sustainability to another level.
“85% water savings. No water leaves the system at all, unless you have a heavy rain,” says Mark Reid, director of golf and grounds at The Breakers. “From a pesticide and fertilizer standpoint, the sustainability is off the charts.”
“It’s such a rarity to actually have grass courts,” Andy Roddick told me after the match. “It was a real treat for us.”
Roddick, who now lives in Charlotte, N.C. with his family, admits that he took a long breather from tennis after his retirement following the 2012 U.S Open. “I didn’t play tennis for eight years,” he says. “Now, in the last two years, I play all the time. I’ve fallen in love with it again.”
Roddick also gets to “nerd out” on all things tennis during his podcast called “Served,” where he chats with other tennis stars. “It’s been fun for me to have the opportunity to get inside the brains of these people that I’ve admired so long,” he admits.
Graf and Agassi have now swapped tennis for pickleball in Las Vegas, where they currently reside. Graf also raved about The Breakers’ grass courts. “Beautiful, beautiful court,” she said. “You always hope that the tennis will be up to par for everybody to enjoy. We don’t play so much anymore, but it seems like everyone enjoyed it.” Graf also reminisced about living in Boca Raton for 20 years, where she owned a home in the gated community of the Polo Club. “It’s changed so much, but it also feels so familiar.”
The “Grand Slam Weekend” also included a Tennis Ball, where attendees waived Palm Beach’s typical gala attire for sporty-chic dress, and raised money for First Serve USA, which is dedicated to empowering youth through education, life skills training and mentorship.
When planning your next stay at The Breakers, build in extra time for racquet sports or even a lesson with one of their tennis pros. That is, when you’re not sunbathing at one of the four oceanfront pools, or dining at swanky HMF or the Seafood Bar (known for their glass aquarium bars where fish swim beneath).
