While tennis will take center stage in the United States for the next two weeks, there’s another racket sport that has stolen at least some of the limelight in recent years: pickleball, the fastest-growing sport in the country.
Combining elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong, pickleball was invented in 1965 by three dads – Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum – with Pritchard and Bell looking for a way to entertain their families during summer and McCallum later helping to come up with the game’s initial set of rules. Pickleball is played with a perforated plastic ball and paddles on a court smaller than a tennis court, with a slightly lower net. Its accessibility, simplicity and appeal across all age groups have contributed to its sudden but rapid rise, with the game’s popularity really snowballing in recent years.
After a period of slow but steady growth, pickleball saw a 21-percent jump in participation in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic forced Americans to find ways to stay active outdoors. That was only the beginning though. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), 4.2 million Americans played pickleball at least once in 2020. Since then, participation has more than tripled, reaching 13.6 million in 2023.
The sport's sudden growth has led to some tensions, however, particularly with the tennis community. As pickleball gained popularity, some tennis players and clubs began to view it as a threat rather than an opportunity. The popular practice of repurposing tennis courts for pickleball to meet growing demand has sparked concerns among tennis enthusiasts, who argue that the noise from pickleball, different playing styles and the reduction in available tennis courts could negatively impact their sport. Some tennis clubs have so far resisted the inclusion of pickleball, fearing it might lead to a decline in tennis participation.
Despite these tensions, pickleball continues to thrive, appealing to a wide demographic from retirees to younger players looking for a social, less physically demanding alternative to tennis. The sport's inclusive nature – you can pick up a paddle and have fun from day 1 – has only fueled its growth, even as it faces opposition from the more established tennis world. Interestingly, the same dynamic can be observed with the game of padel, which has taken large parts of Europe by storm in recent years and has faced the same skepticism from the tennis community.
