Pickleball may very well be the next big. In a recent announcement, the Miami Open had some exciting developments to share regarding the up-and-coming sport, along with their regular tennis tournament. The racket sport has already gained massive popularity, courtesy of the Pickleball Slam, which features players like Andre Agassi, and John McEnroe.
With the likes of Elon Musk also working on popularizing it, pickleball is likely to carve out a much-awaited mainstream position in racket sports.
Pickleball alongside regular tennis at the Miami Open
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A reliable tennis source shared on their official X (formerly Twitter) that the prestigious Miami Open 2024 will include pickleball matches alongside their regular tournament games. The source tweeted – “Miami Open will feature Pickleball and Wheelchair tennis alongside the regularly scheduled Masters 1000 event.”
Pickleball matches at the Miami Open will begin on March 27th and it will continue till the 29th at the Butch Buchholz Stadium. This is the first time that a mainstream tennis tournament has included pickleball in one of its events. Apart from that, another interesting event tabled for the Open is wheelchair tennis, exhibiting the tournament committee’s commitment to inclusivity.
BREAKING:
Miami Open will feature Pickleball and Wheelchair tennis alongside the regularly scheduled Masters 1000 event.
Wheelchair tennis 🗓 Mar 26 – Mar 28 on Butch Buchholz Court / Grandstand Court
Pickleball 🗓 Mar 27 – Mar 29 on Butch Buchholz Stadium pic.twitter.com/wKuR3RpeMJ
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 29, 2024
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James Blake, the tournament director of the Miami Open said – “We are delighted to welcome both wheelchair tennis players and MLP stars to this year’s Miami Open presented by Itaú, We want to continue to build on the festival atmosphere that is now so synonymous with the Open and we are proud to be the first 1000 series event to showcase elite wheelchair tennis and pickleball athletes to our fans.”
Along with its inclusion at the Miami Open, Pickleball Slam’s second edition is also knocking on the door. This slam will feature Steffi Graff partnering with Andre Agassi, and Sharapova with McEnroe to face off against each other. Starting on the 4th of February, the second edition of the event already has many on edge.
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Watch this story: Rob Gronkowski and Camille Kostek Enjoy Pickleball With a Bucs Player Who Once Left Tom Brady Fuming
Meanwhile, its inclusion at the Miami Open brings out a new path for the sport to introduce itself to a larger audience, on a bigger stage. Are you a fan of Pickleball, or do you prefer traditional tennis? Let us know in the comments below.