Does tennis have a pickleball problem?
Even as the U.S. Open with more than a million fans expected for , the game含羞草研究社檚 leaders are being forced to confront a devastating fact 含羞草研究社� the nation含羞草研究社檚 fastest-growing racket sport (or sport of any kind) is not tennis but pickleball, which has seen U.S. participation boom 223% in the past three years.
含羞草研究社淨uite frankly, it含羞草研究社檚 obnoxious to hear that pickleball noise,含羞草研究社� U.S. Tennis Association President Dr. Brian Hainline grumbled at a recent state-of-the-game news conference, bemoaning the distinctive pock, pock, pock of pickleball points.
Pickleball, an easy-to-play mix of tennis and ping pong using paddles and a wiffleball, has quickly soared from nearly nothing to 13.6 million U.S. players in just a few years, leading tennis purists to fear a day when it could surpass tennis含羞草研究社� 23.8 million players. And most troubling is that pickleball含羞草研究社檚 rise has often come at the expense of thousands of tennis courts encroached upon or even replaced by smaller pickleball courts.
含羞草研究社淲hen you see an explosion of a sport and it starts potentially eroding into your sport, then, yes, you含羞草研究社檙e concerned,含羞草研究社� Hainline said in an interview with The Associated Press. 含羞草研究社淭hat erosion has come in our infrastructure. 含羞草研究社� A lot of pickleball advocates just came in and said, 含羞草研究社榃e need these tennis courts.含羞草研究社� It was a great, organic grassroots movement but it was a little anti-tennis.含羞草研究社�
Some tennis governing bodies in other countries have embraced pickleball and other racket sports under the more-the-merrier belief they could lead more players to the mothership of tennis. France含羞草研究社檚 tennis federation at this year含羞草研究社檚 French Open to give top players and fans a chance to try it out.
But the USTA has taken a decidedly different approach. Nowhere at the U.S. Open含羞草研究社檚 Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is there any such demonstration court, exhibition match or any other nod to pickleball or its possible crossover appeal.
In fact, the USTA is flipping the script on pickleball with an ambitious launch of more than 400 pilot programs across the country to broaden the reach of an easier-to-play, smaller-court version of tennis called Backers say it含羞草研究社檚 the ideal way for people of all ages to get into tennis and the best place to try it is (wait for it) on pickleball courts.
含羞草研究社淵ou can begin tennis at any age,含羞草研究社� USTA含羞草研究社檚 Hainline said. 含羞草研究社淲e believe that when you do begin this great sport of tennis, it含羞草研究社檚 probably best to begin it on a shorter court with a larger, low-compression red ball. What含羞草研究社檚 an ideal short court? A pickleball court.含羞草研究社�
And instead of the plasticky plink of a pickleball against a flat paddle, Hainline said, striking a fuzzy red tennis ball with a stringed racket allows for a greater variety of strokes and 含羞草研究社渏ust a beautiful sound.含羞草研究社� Players can either stick with red ball tennis or advance through a progression of bouncier balls to full-court tennis.
含羞草研究社淣ot to put it down,含羞草研究社� Hainline said of pickleball, 含羞草研究社渂ut compared to tennis 含羞草研究社� seriously?含羞草研究社�
So what does the head of the nation含羞草研究社檚 pickleball governing body have to say about such comments and big tennis含羞草研究社� plans to plant the seeds of its growth, at least in part, on pickleball courts?
含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 like it but there is so much going on with pickleball, so many good things, I含羞草研究社檓 going to stick to what I can control, harnessing the growth and supporting this game,含羞草研究社� said Pickleball USA CEO Mike Nealy.
Among the positive signs, Nealy said, is the continuing construction of new pickleball courts across the country, raising the total to more than 50,000. There含羞草研究社檚 also growing investment in the game at clubs built in former big-box retail stores, pro leagues with such backers as Tom Brady, LeBron James and Drake, and the emergence of 含羞草研究社渄ink-and-drink含羞草研究社� establishments that tap into the social aspect of the game by allowing friends to enjoy pickleball, beer, wine and food under the same roof.
含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 think it needs to be one or the other or a competition,含羞草研究社� Nealy said of pickleball and tennis. 含羞草研究社淵ou含羞草研究社檙e certainly going to have the inherent frictions in communities when tennis people don含羞草研究社檛 feel that they含羞草研究社檙e getting what they want. 含羞草研究社� They含羞草研究社檙e different games but I think they are complimentary. There含羞草研究社檚 plenty of room for both sports to be very successful.含羞草研究社�
Top-ranked American tennis player Taylor Fritz agreed. 含羞草研究社淭here are some people in the tennis world that are just absolute pickleball haters, and that含羞草研究社檚 fine. But for me, I don含羞草研究社檛 really have an issue with pickleball. I like playing sometimes. 含羞草研究社� I don含羞草研究社檛 see any reason why both of them can含羞草研究社檛 exist.含羞草研究社�
The relative health of tennis and pickleball is calculated by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, a marketing research group whose annual survey of 18,000 Americans on their preferences of physical activity has been widely cited for decades.
Though the group含羞草研究社檚 President and CEO Tom Cove refused to hazard a guess on if or when pickleball could overtake tennis, he said the American pickleball boom is unlike anything his organization his ever seen and several key stats suggest it could be poised to keep going.
For starters, though the initial growth of pickleball was fueled during the coronavirus pandemic by retirees looking for a socially distanced, low-impact way to get some exercise, the growth now is driven by those ages 18 to 34, with a million new players 17 and younger added last year. Also, of the current 13.6 million pickleball participants in SFIA含羞草研究社檚 survey, the core number, those who play eight or more times a year, is a robust 4.8 million.
But perhaps more important than any stat, Cove said, is that pickleball puts up almost no barriers to entry. Equipment is relatively cheap, the game can be played almost anywhere, even on a driveway, and it takes almost no time to start having meaningful games with players of all ages and skill levels. That含羞草研究社檚 unlike nearly every other sport, including tennis, which can often take months of practice to learn, be physically demanding and require finding players of similar skill level to play competitive matches.
含羞草研究社淧ickleball has a unique quality to give enjoyment very early,含羞草研究社� Cove said. 含羞草研究社淧eople figure it out and after one or two times. They say, 含羞草研究社業 like to play. It含羞草研究社檚 fun and I can do this. There含羞草研究社檚 enough competition, but not too much. There含羞草研究社檚 enough skill but not too much. There含羞草研究社檚 enough urgency but it doesn含羞草研究社檛 make me feel like I含羞草研究社檓 going to fall over. And I like the social part.含羞草研究社澓卟菅芯可鐧
The USTA is seeking to capture some of that vibe as it charts tennis含羞草研究社� future. The game is coming off its own 10% growth over the past three years, according to SFIA含羞草研究社檚 survey, and the USTA has a goal to increase its ranks from 23.8 million to 35 million players 含羞草研究社� about 1 in 10 of all Americans 含羞草研究社� by 2035.
Building that base starts with outreach like a special 含羞草研究社渞ed ball含羞草研究社� demonstration court set up next to stadium Court 17 at Flushing Meadows. A game that was once used almost exclusively to introduce children to tennis is now being promoted to adult U.S. Open fans 含羞草研究社� among the same people currently flocking to pickleball.
含羞草研究社淚 have to say, I kind of like it better than pickleball,含羞草研究社� 27-year-old Angelique Santiago of Boston said after her first-ever session of red-ball. 含羞草研究社淭he ball is softer compared to the hard pickleball. The tennis racket has a softer feel. It含羞草研究社檚 just easier to get into a rally. 含羞草研究社� I含羞草研究社檇 definitely play it again.含羞草研究社�
Such comments are music to the ears of the USTA含羞草研究社檚 Hainline, who says comparing tennis to pickleball in terms of skill, nuance and athleticism is 含羞草研究社渓ike comparing apples to potatoes.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淲e want to present another option,含羞草研究社� he said, 含羞草研究社渁nd let the people choose.含羞草研究社�
