Tennis Pros vs. Pickleball Pros: Exhibition Match May Win Over Tennis Crowd
Last Edited
Aug 22 2024
Category
News
For years, the entire tennis community has looked down on pickleball.
“Pickleball is for washed-up tennis players” and "How hard could a game be with a sixteen-year-old ranked number one?" were common reprises.
Recent news has marked a shift in the tide.
A major announcement this week confirmed Jannik Sinner, Barbora Krejcikova, and Novak Djokovic will be playing pickleball in The Head NYC Mash Up.
This will be an exhibition match where some of the top tennis pros in the world compete against top pickleball pros.
A lot of eyes will be on this event from the tennis world, especially after the recent comment by Novak Djokovic stating that pickleball was “endangering” the sport of tennis.
Related: The GOAT Djokovic Says 'Pickleball is Endangering Tennis'
But what does this mean for pickleball?
It comes at no shock to anyone (other than tennis folks) that pickleball has been the fastest growing sport in the U.S for quite some time.
However, what pickleball lacks is the fan base. While many pickleball enthusiasts or “addicts” do carry a lot of weight, most people enjoy the sport on a recreational level.
This is where tennis comes into play.
The fan base behind tennis is massive. People travel all over the world to watch tennis matches, and there is a certain status associated with the sport.
A growth in the fan base offers several key factors that will only benefit the sport:
- Potential TV deals to reach an even larger audience
- Increasing the player base, which in turn increases the fan base
- Attracting new talent at the professional level
The two worlds will collide in an event that holds a lot of weight for the future of pickleball.
People from all around the globe who have been skeptical of the sport may get to see the passion, the pace, and the excitement that they can't see from behind their keyboards.
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