Up until the early 2000s, the United States was a dominant force in world tennis. Superstars like Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, and Venus and Serena Williams were global celebrities with influence beyond the sport. In the second week of February 2001, the American quartet starred as themselves in the famous sitcom, The Simpsons. The episode attracted widespread viewership, becoming one of the most-watched that week.
The likes of Agassi, Sampras, Venus, and Serena were worldwide stars whose fame extended beyond tennis. Interest in the sport was at an all-time high in the USA in the 1990s and early 2000s, given the Williams’ breakthrough and the men’s unparalleled domination. These celebrated names made attractive ambassadors for any brand. Hence, many media houses also sought to feature them in their productions.
The long-running animated sitcom The Simpsons managed to get the four superstars on board. They voiced their animated avatars in the 12th episode of the 12th season, titled ‘Tennis the Menace’, which aired on February 11, 2001. In the episode, Homer Simpson builds a tennis court in the backyard of the Simpsons’ house. While the court becomes popular with other residents of the town, they mock Homer for his terrible tennis.
Despite his lack of skills, the patriarch of the lead family signs him and his wife, Marge, up for an exhibition event. The four athletes are shown in attendance at the tournament. After much in-fighting between the Simpsons, and their poor tennis skills, they get ousted by Serena and Venus, who end up partnering with Sampras and Agassi, respectively. The four superstars play each other in a mixed doubles tie as the Simpson family watches from the stands.
The episode was well-received, as over 8 million households watched it during the first airing. With a Nielsen popularity rating of 8.2, it was the fourth-most popular episode of any show on Fox that week. Agassi’s appearance was selected as one of the 33 best cameos in the history of the Simpsons. He had recorded his lines the earliest, followed by Sampras and the Williams sisters.
Serena Williams is the most established actor among Venus, Pete Sampras, and Andre Agassi
Athletes like Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Venus and Serena Williams were among the most in-demand sportspersons in the 1990s and 2000s. Additionally to a host of endorsements and advertisements, all of them have made popular appearances in movies and TV shows.
The 2001 Simpsons episode marked Serena’s debut in front of the camera. She continues to make cameo appearances even today after retiring. Among the aforementioned four, the former World No.1 has the most acting credentials by far. She appeared as herself in movies like Ocean’s 8 and Glass Onion, and in TV Shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians and America’s Next Top Model. She has also acted as character in projects like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Law & Order: SVU, and the recent Paw Patrol movie.
Venus, on the other hand, has not done much in media. The Simpsons remains her only fictional appearance. However, both sisters have attended multiple talk shows on TV many times. They also have been the subject of various documentaries. The acclaimed movie King Richard was based on their tennis journey from the eyes of their father. Actor Will Smith won an Academy Award for portraying that role.
Sampras has also remained low-key in popular culture. Two years before the Simpsons, he showed up in a cameo for Arliss, a TV show based on a sports agency. Agassi has a couple more acting credits than Sampras. He has also been the subject of a few documentaries, most notably Love Means Zero. It was based on his troubled relationship with coach Nick Bollettieri. He also appeared on many talk shows and once showed up in the WWE.
