Tennis and pickleball—two racket sports, but worlds apart in the eyes of purists. While pickleball’s meteoric rise has sparked a new wave of players and fans, it has also ruffled feathers among tennis enthusiasts. Pickleball’s boom has been undeniable, drawing in recreational players and even a few former tennis pros. But for many tennis lovers, the rapid expansion feels less like a friendly rivalry and more like a threat to the sport’s rich tradition. And now, fresh stats from the United States Tennis Association (USTA) are adding fuel to the fire.

The competing nature of both sports has led to some serious issues in terms of not just fans and funds but also space. In an Instagram post shared by The Kitchen Pickleball, it was revealed that pickleball has slowly taken over 10% of the tennis courts in the United States. The problem has been on a massive rise and it has also been acknowledged by Lew Sherr, CEO of the USTA.

In a statement in October this year, Sherr highlighted that it is gradually becoming difficult to accommodate both sports. “There are not enough courts to support tennis growth,” Sherr said. “And court infrastructure being compromised with people playing pickleball on those courts or courts being repainted.” The land grab might not come as a major surprise for many as pickleball is indeed making some fast advancements in recent years. 

According to a 2024 report by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, there are at least 13.6 million players in the U.S. who participate in the sport. The pandemic proved to be a boon further, as the sport recorded a 223.5% participation rate increase since 2020. Now, this comes at a time when tennis players themselves are participating in pickleball matches.

In a video announcement in September this year, Andre Agassi confirmed the return of the third edition of Pickleball Slam next year. Scheduled to take place on February 16, 2025, the tournament will arrive in Las Vegas and will feature Agassi and his wife Steffi Graf on one side competing against Andy Roddick and Eugenie Bouchard on the other. However, the rise is not only in terms of players associated with it or the place it is overtaking but the flow of funds as well.

The capital investment for pickleball has been growing steadily. In June this year, The Avenue Sports Fund announced that it would make quite some investment in CityPickle, the urban home for pickleball. Through the investment, CityPickle would be able to expand the locations of its permanent, indoor pickleball club concept in addition to strategic activations at iconic landmarks in metropolitan areas. It is for these reasons that the resentment among tennis enthusiasts is on the rise and has been visible time and again. 

The Brooklyn-based group Club Leftist Tennis launched an anti-pickleball lobbying campaign in September 2022. Taking to their Twitter back then, the organization wrote, “Reminder: pickleball is an astroturfed, venture capital-backed parasite on public space.” And it is not the enthusiasts, but the players themselves who have highlighted their resentment over the rising popularity of Pickleball. 

“Tennis is endangered” – When Novak Djokovic expressed concerns over pickleball’s rising popularity

The tennis world has often shared how difficult it is for the players to sustain when more favoritism is enjoyed by pickleball. The data also shows the revamping of tennis courts and their conversion into smaller pickleball courts thereby possessing the potential to impact the sport in general in the long run. Such a situation has often drawn remarks from players themselves and Novak Djokovic has not shied away either. 

In an interaction, Nole expressed concerns over the rise of pickleball and the impact it is bringing to tennis. “On a club level, tennis is endangered,” he said. “If we don’t do something about it, globally or collectively, paddle, pickleball in the States, they’re gonna convert all the tennis clubs into paddle and pickleball. Because it’s more economical.” Meanwhile, Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, also highlighted a similar take on the sport. 

Speaking about the commerce of Pickleball, Ohanian remarked, “Until I see a pickleball highlight go viral, I don’t think it’s a real sport.” But for now, the rivalry between the two sports seems to be growing enormously, Are we witnessing a coexistence or a clash? Only time will tell!