@chamberfield1
Tennis player here. I played pickleball for the first time a few weeks ago and it was fun. Kind of like playing ping pong on a huge table. It was super easy to play and I hardly broke a sweat, especially if playing doubles. So I can see why so many people love it -- easy learning curve and you don't need to be in shape to play it. But I still love tennis and won't switch until I'm old and can't play tennis anymore.
@lizwilson51
The people that are playing pickleball aren’t going to play tennis if pickleball doesn’t exist. They were not playing any sport so we should celebrate more people getting active and outside in a fun healthy community. Tennis is one of the most difficult skilled sports to learn along with golf. Pickleball is easier and faster to pick up and enjoy for those who aren’t going to play competitively but just recreationally.
@Vanrustic
I grew up in a tennis household and was taught the sport as a kid, but now I’m a pickleball player. One key aspect I think you overlooked in your comparison is that tennis still carries the perception of being a “high-class” sport, much like golf. There’s a persistent stigma that these sports are only for the wealthy, largely fueled by stereotypes that aren’t always true. For example, many people believe you need to belong to an expensive, exclusive club to play tennis or golf. While that’s obviously not the case, this misconception can discourage wider participation because tennis is still seen as a “rich person’s sport.” Another issue with tennis, similar to golf, is its steep learning curve. Tennis isn’t an easy sport to pick up—it often requires lessons just to learn how to serve properly, let alone master the basics. Whereas pickleball is very forgiving and slightly missed shots aren't going wildly into the fence. Finally, the perception of tennis as a “high-class” activity extends to the culture surrounding the sport. Tennis has so many etiquette rules that can feel snooty and unwelcoming to newcomers. My tennis-playing friends are always shocked when they visit public pickleball courts and experience how inclusive the community is. In pickleball, people are quick to invite you to join their game, or they’ll take a break just to let you play. On a tennis court, it’s often the opposite—players are territorial about “their” court, and there’s little acknowledgment of others waiting to play. The mindset in tennis often feels hierarchical and exclusive, while pickleball fosters inclusivity and fun. Of course, experiences may vary, but these are some observations I’ve noticed over time.
@rogerhuggettjr.7675
I'm 57 and played tennis from ages 17-22. I didn't have anyone to play with after that time. I first heard of pickleball 14 months ago and my wife rented an indoor court at a bar in January (we live in Minneapolis) and it was a great way for 10 beginners to get some exercise in the middle of winter. My wife and I immediately loved it. It didn't take any time to learn, didn't require the running of tennis, and my tennis backhand easily translated to PB. We have several close outdoor courts as well as places that charge #40/hour indoors if we need it. It's a flexible sport in that if my wife and I meet others we can play doubles and if not we can play 8 games over 2 hours alone. Since I quit cycling a couple years ago PB is the only cardio I get and I play until I drop whenever weather and work permit.
@iammc482
people i know playing pickleball are those who never had sports.. im happy for them as they are now active, socialising etc.. this is really appealing and fit to those who want to learn a new sport at the age of 30+
@Mcflynerdyguy
I just started playing pickleball a month ago, the biggest thing I like about it compared to tennis is the accessibility and the people. I played tennis, but the people even pros in pickleball are nicer, more laid back, and more welcoming. But, I think there are people for each sport and if pickleball gets people up and out and getting exercise then that’s a good thing.
@ddars14
Djokovic is right. I have and I will continue to love and play tennis, but it is surprisingly difficult to watch live the matches I'm interested in. We can only watch whatever the broadcasting stations deemed higher priority to show. This will surely let tennis fans go over time.
@aHumanCookiee
Part of the decline of tennis is cost of entry. Here in the UK, where it rains 98% of the year, indoor courts run you up to £25 an hour to play on. Where is the sense a tennis court earning more per hour than 70% of all UK workers? I love tennis, but pricing has just become a joke.
@agenciapersonal7573
I live on one of the poorest islands in Indonesia. Most of our neighbors have never even been to the local mall and going to a restaurant is an impossibility. But there are now about 30 pickleball courts on our island and several active clubs. I daily see poor barefoot villagers playing a pickup game.
@DarkNight708
As a table tennis guy i have huge respect for tennis players and this sport in general. Pickle ball is just another commecial type of game that is being promoted just to increase popularity and equipment sales and i dont believe it should somehow impact major games like Tennis, Badminton and Table Tennis however if someone like Jokovic says that tennis should become more affordable and better promoted i believe he knows what he is talking about.
@Zio-359
As much as i dislike pickleball, pickleball is NOT the problem. Tennis association needs to change. millions of tennis players and viewers have been suffering… goat novak trying to help save the sport, sadly we know the short sightedness of the corporates are obvious.
@mmphzlol
It's so frustrating trying to watch Grand Slams in the USA. There's too many pay walls and it doesn't include access to all the matches being played in grand slams. Ive given up watching the matches live, and just wait for highlights on YT.
@aidenhughes6400
As a squash fan, I can relate. A lot of courts are being converted into cardio rooms and the like.
@bloodstockvip2176
Our local gym has 2 pickleball courts (with padel, tennis, badminton and tennis). We took our 11 year old to each, and he's good with racket sports. His favourite is pickleball, then padel, then table tennis, then tennis and finally badminton. He pesters me to book pickleball which is great as I enjoy it the most too!
@johnskrb
Reminds me of the rise of racquetball on handball courts. It was so much easier to pick up and less stressful to play, that the handball players were squeezed out of their courts. Fast forward 25 years, racquetball popularity declines and not enough handball players are left to take up the slack, and courts are closed / repurposed.
@divinity176
As someone who grew up with Tennis, I am immensely pleased that Pickleball is keeping some of our former Tennis courts in racquetball sports. Seeing them turned into Pickleball courts rather than more Skateboard parks is good news. More so, that they actually get an awful lot of use. The majority of people who chose Pickbleball because the Tennis skill barrier of entry is much higher were probably never really going to get into Tennis anyway.
@caitlinmorris18
I grew up playing tennis. I recently switched to pickleball because I'm newer to my community and I want to meet people and it's easy to stop by pickleball pick up nights. I like that it's much more of a social sport. I wish tennis had more of a pick-up/quick games mentality like pickleball so you could cycle through who you play with more frequently.
@TheAgaveSpirit
As I am writing this post, another 10 tennis courts have just been converted to pickleball.
@Mr.Waffles1st
Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if pickleball helped tennis in the long run, I could totally see kids that started out playing pickleball move up to tennis, like going from tee ball to baseball, especially if there's tennis courts next to pickleball courts and they can actually see what tennis can offer
@Courtside_Tennis