Despite Tension Over Court Space, Pickleball and Tennis Are Both Serving Up Wins: Here’s Why
At 5 p.m. on a Monday evening, the pickleball courts in Manhattan’s lower Central Park are popping — literally. The small plastic balls crack loudly across the 14 courts of CityPickle at Wollman Rink, drawing attention and intrigue from passersby.
For some, today is their first time playing pickleball. Others are more seasoned players. One factor, however, is the same: they all seem to be having fun. Looking at the energetic players on the courts — which moonlight as an ice rink during the winter — it’s no surprise that pickleball was the fastest-growing sport in 2022 and continues to capture new players, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA).
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But not everyone is thrilled about the momentum. In recent months, tennis players have voiced concerns with pickleball’s encroachment on its court — and sound — space, feeding into a burgeoning rivalry between the two sports and their devotees.
Watching the pickleball matches, it’s hard not to think of tennis. Both games are played on netted courts with rackets. The swinging movements, while smaller, look like tennis motions. The rules of the game are different, though. And while pickleball is largely seen as more accessible for entry-level players, tennis is harder to learn and still associated with exclusive country clubs.
The tension is made stronger by the lack of available court space. Nearly 1,600 U.S. pickleball court locations were added in 2022, up from the close to 1,000 facilities added in 2021, according to USA Pickleball. In some cases, tennis courts have been converted into pickleball courts to cater to growing demand.
“In the public parks, you’re seeing a lot of controversy, we’ll call it, because tennis players, basketball players, they feel like the pickleballers are taking over their space,” said Jacqui Kennedy, general manager of CityPickle at Wollman Rink in New York City. “But there definitely is room for everyone.”
Across pickleball devotees and experts, there’s a common feeling that pickleball’s success doesn’t have to take away from opportunities in tennis — and can actually be beneficial to court sports in general in terms of participation and the surrounding fashion ecosystem taking root around the category.
“We see a ton of crossover between the two sports,” said Melissa Zhang, director of communications and content for USA Pickleball. “A lot of tennis players are now trying out pickleball, and pickleball players are even pivoting a little bit to tennis.”
That is certainly true for the competitors in Central Park, many of whom said they have a history of playing tennis. Pickleball participation skyrocketed 158.6 percent over the last three years, SFIA found. But for the first time since 2015, every other racket sport increased participation in 2022 compared to the prior year as well.
Tennis, for instance, has added more than 5.9 million new players since the beginning of 2020 through the end of 2022, for a growth of 33 percent, according to the U.S. Tennis Association. Like pickleball, the USTA is also looking to expand tennis court space to accommodate demand and believes there is room for both sports to coexist in harmony. “The USTA views pickleball, as well as other racquet sports such as padel, as complementary to tennis,” said Craig Morris, chief executive of community tennis for the USTA. “The more players participating in racquet sports the better for all members of the racquet sports industry.”
A boost for fashion
When it comes to on-the-court fashion and footwear, the pickleball craze doesn’t appear to be cannibalizing growth in tennis, either.
“Our tennis [category] has picked up in sales,” said K-Swiss VP of global marketing Dave Larson. “Is it purely because of pickleball? No. But I think it’s helped. I truly believe in the concept of court sports and a high tide floats all boats.”
K-Swiss, a tennis heritage brand, launched its Express Light Pickleball sneaker in 2019 to capitalize on the growth of the sport. Since then, the label has expanded its reach, sponsoring events such as the Inaugural Pickleball Slam in April and signing professional athletes as ambassadors. K-Swiss’ sales of pickleball products more than doubled year-over-year for the first two years on the market. Its 2022 sales were up 73%.
Other athletic players have been quick to jump on the trend as well, including Fila and Skechers — the latter of which is the official footwear sponsor of the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships and recently signed pickleball deals in Canada and England. Those brands have so far taken a specialized approach.
Like other companies that make pickleball shoes, K-Swiss believes the sport demands unique footwear design to maximize comfort and performance.
“A lot of players are using tennis shoes for pickleball, which you can do, but in reality, the sports do have different movements, so you do need slightly different footwear,” Larson said.
For instance, tennis players are more likely to utilize harsh braking motions and quick starts and stops, which means their shoes typically require more reinforcement. Pickleball movements are smaller and more lateral, which means the shoes should be lighter.
“Tennis shoes and pickleball shoes are very similar, but very different from running shoes that have more built-up midsoles and more toe and heel kick for a forward stride,” said Dave Vattes, VP of innovation and development at Caleres, which makes pickleball shoes via its Ryka and Dr. Scholl’s brands.
Vattes said pickleball shoes should allow for lateral movements, flexibility and overall cushioning comfort.
Fila, which launched its first pickleball shoe in 2019, said it has seen strong demand for performance footwear in the sport. The brand declined to share if its tennis category had been impacted since pickleball became popular. However, Lauren Mallon, Fila’s senior director of marketing and strategic partnerships for tennis and pickleball, is optimistic about their dual futures. “We see tennis and pickleball as complementary to each other,” she said. “We firmly believe that there is, and always will be, ample room for both in the marketplace.”
The pickleball look
Stylistically, pickleball fashion takes many cues from tennis and other court sports like badminton. That is, women are opting for matching sets of skorts and fitted tanks, while men wear T-shirts and shorts.
This trend is certainly evident at CityPickle, where players sport what most people might consider tennis or standard workout attire.
Many brands are following this trend and opting not to distinguish between their tennis and pickleball products. Mizuno, for instance, markets its racket sports performance sneakers to all players of both activities, Rothy’s in June launched a court-inspired collection for tennis or pickleball players, and apparel labels such as Spanx are currently advertising skorts and tanks for both tennis and pickleball on its website.
“The look overall is similar to tennis, although I think it’s more fun,” said CityPickle’s Kennedy. “With pickleball people are not afraid to wear more color. [It’s] a little bit more fun.”
Pickleball is still in the early stages, so it remains to be seen if a truly unique style will evolve from what is currently in the market. But brands at the forefront of this growing trend are uniquely poised to shape that future aesthetic.
“Many apparel companies, ourselves included, are defining the look of pickleball.” K-Swiss’ Larson said. “I’m hoping we make it distinctive from tennis. I think they are different sports and they will demand a different aesthetic.”
As for now, pickleball and tennis seem to have a solid common ground in their styles and player demographics. Coming together could yield even more collective wins for court sport style and visibility.
“Racket sports should support one another,” USA Pickleball’s Zhang said.
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