What Forced Jack Sock to Leave Tennis at Just 30? Everything to Know About His Pickleball Slam 2 Appearance

It is the growing popularity of pickleball that has attracted many to try their hands on the sport. Be it professional tennis players or anyone else, the craze for the game has gotten over everyone and Jack Sock is no different than them. A former professional tennis player, the American decided to retire from professional tennis at the age of 30 at the US Open to pursue his career as a professional pickleball player.

But why did he actually retire? Coming to play at the upcoming Pickleball Slam 2, how has his decision to announce tennis helped him enhance his career in pickleball? Let’s find out!

Why did Jack Sock decide to retire from tennis?

Jack Sock decided to stop playing professional tennis at 30. Now, he’s making waves in pickleball. Before the US Open in 2023, Sock shared in an interview where he suggested that as he got older, his body didn’t cooperate well with tennis. So, he made the switch to pickleball. While being an American, playing his last event at the US Open was the best thing that he could have done.

In May of 2023, Sock said he wants to be a link between tennis and pickleball, showing that you can enjoy both. He believes there’s no need for competition between the two sports and hopes people can find a middle ground. Sock’s move highlights the idea that you can love and play both sports without any conflict.

“Maybe when my body’s not cooperating enough for tennis, and I’m getting older, maybe pickleball kind of takes over for me,” Sock said in an interview in May. “I want to be kind of a bridge between the two sports, and let people know you can go out and enjoy both,” he said. “Obviously, if you’re a tennis lover and all of a sudden some of the tennis courts in your community are now pickleball courts — I understand that makes it less easy to play. But there’s a middle ground here. There’s no reason for either sport to rip on the other.”

Thus, the American superstar, who made a significant shift in his profession suggested that he wanted to be the main link between the two games. As he gears up for Pickleball Slam 2, Sock’s journey tells a story of adapting to change and promoting the joy of playing sports in different ways.

Also read: Jack Sock, Who Became a Father Recently, Shares Heart-Warming Message to Celebrate Wife’s Courage on Her Special Day

Ahead of the Pickleball Slam 2, he made a bold statement for john McEnroe and Maria Sharapova as he thinks that they don’t stand a chance against him.

Sock comes up with a strong message for John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova

Ahead of the slam, Jack Sock suggested that he was confident that he would land a win in his favor and would do whatever it took to reach the title. Not only this, he suggested that the incredible duo of Marai Sharapova and John McEnroe is not as tough as it seems and they would need some miracle to get out of the zone.

“I would say for the team of [McEnroe, Sharapova, and Blake], it’s looking very uphill,” he said with a laugh. “They are going to need one of those one-in-a-million days where they are in the zone and playing so good they can’t remember to even have a chance. In fact, I don’t think that will be enough. We might need some sort of handicap system in place to give them some points — that’s all I’m saying.”

Thus, Jack Sock, who made a great career transition from tennis to pickleball now seems all set to put his mark on the sport. With a lot behind him, he is eager to leave an ever-lasting impact and prove that his transition to a new sport was completely worth it.

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