Concerning Stat Proves Pickleball Is the Real Deal in America as Tennis Takes a Punch to the Gut

The craze for Pickleball has engulfed not just the United States, but the entire world. It has gone on to become one of the fastest-growing sports, leaving behind popular sports like football, soccer, and basketball. Being a relatively cheaper sport, it is easily accessible to a wider audience across different economic classes, unlike tennis, which requires significantly greater investment. Recently, a concerning stat came to light for tennis that put it behind pickleball.

Not just the average person but also legends of tennis like John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova have moved to the new sport. Let’s find out what the concerning stat was about and whether it is a worrying sign for tennis.

Pickleball overtakes tennis

Over the past few months, Pickleball has constantly threatened tennis as its popularity increases day by day. It has become a routine activity, especially in the United States, because of the easy access to the courts and equipment. This has had a direct effect on one major stat, in which the emerging sport has left the traditional one behind for the first time.

Recently, one crazy stat went viral on social media, comparing the two sports. For the first time, pickleball has overtaken tennis in participant workouts on Apple Health. The chart shows trends in tennis and pickleball participation over the last two years.

In 2021, tennis was comfortably ahead of pickleball, as far as people’s participation was concerned. However, the latter’s graph began to grow exponentially as it became known to more and more people. And finally, it has overtaken tennis in participants’ workouts on Apple Health.

This new sport has also caught the attention of some renowned players, including legend Billie Jean King. However, her surgeon revealed a glaring issue with this sport.

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What did Billie Jean King’s surgeon say?

While King is much in the liking for the sport of pickleball, her surgeon had other ideas and thoughts. In a recent interview, King shared what her surgeon had to say about pickleball.

Raising concerns for this sport, King said, “I’ve tried it a couple of times, but I have trouble with the noise. Plus, orthopedic surgeons keep telling me they’re seeing back and knee injuries from pickleball.”

Despite this issue, pickleball continues to grow by leaps and bounds. It has become a common daily activity practiced by people all across the globe. Is this a sign of a threat to tennis? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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