Pro Tennis Players Embracing Pickleball – PickleballMAX

It’s been great to see the rise of pickleball over the past few years! Most everyone sees how fun, social and beneficial the game is. To the chagrin of some of their fans and tennis purists, even professional tennis players are jumping on the pickleball bandwagon. 

I, like many other pickleball fans, believe that tennis and pickleball can coexist. They’re both great racquet/paddle sports. Even though there are similarities between the sports, there are enough differences to make them both viable. Tennis may currently still be the king of racquet sports, but pickleball is, no doubt, the prince.

Are Tennis Players Good at Pickleball?

With a host of similarities between tennis and pickleball, you would think it would be easy to switch between both the two sports. While tennis players are likely to hold their own on the court for a fun rec game, are they actually “good” at pickleball? 

My husband, Todd (Mr. PickleballMAX), played tennis throughout his four years of college and has been a pickleball instructor for the last several years. He easily picked up pickleball when he started, but he had a handful of bad habits from playing tennis (volleys, for one) that he had to overcome. He also had to get a better grasp on the non-volley zone and overarching pickleball strategy.

When he coaches players, he can immediately tell if they have a tennis background. Their strokes are smooth. They follow through on shots. They have good court awareness. All of those are good for pickleball. However, invariably, some tennis habits have to be changed.

Professional Tennis Players Who Play Pickleball

There have been professional tennis players who, for one reason or another, have come over to pickleball. Some players have retired from the wear-and-tear and the grind of tennis. Others are now realizing the potential of making more money on one of the professional pickleball tours than being a tennis player with a ranking north of 100.

It has become quite evident that tennis players can more quickly succeed in singles. However, it generally takes time to be good in doubles. Some of the players are dipping their toes into pickleball while still keeping a foot in tennis.

Here are some of the professional tennis players who have come over to pickleball:

Andre Agassi, Sam Querry, and John Isner are currently defacto “spokespeople” for the sport, bridging the gap between tennis and pickleball.

While some of these players are naturals in pickleball, others have learned the hard way that it takes more practice and time to compete at the highest level. Genie Bouchard and Sam Querry came into the sport with high expectations, but quickly learned they had some new skills and strategies to learn and perfect. Noah Rubin came into the sport with a bang, but ended up leaving just as quickly and returning to tennis when we couldn’t make it to the top of pickleball.

In addition to professional tennis players, there have been many college tennis players who have made their way to the top of pickleball. Actually, the vast majority of professional pickleball players have tennis somewhere in their background.

Pickleball Slams

There have been a couple Pickleball Slams that have welcomed professional tennis players. As of 2024, there have been two Slams.

In April 2023, ESPN televised the inaugural Pickleball Slam which was played at Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood, FL. Tennis greats Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, John McEnroe, and Michael Chang competed against each other. Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick won the $1 million purse.

In February, 2024, the second Slam was played with Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, John McEnroe and Maria Sharapova. In addition, current pickleball players and retired tennis stars Jack Sock and James Blake helped each team out. Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf won the $1 million purse.

Pickleball Events Before Tennis Tournaments

Professional tennis has been hosting some pickleball events before their major tournaments. Before the French Open, The French Tennis Federation provided a pickleball demonstration with pickleball pro, Jay Devilliers. They converted the red clay court into three temporary pickleball courts.

A week before the U.S. Tennis Open, Head held the NYC Mash Up. Tennis pros Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Barbora Krejcikova and pro pickleballer Callie Smith were part of the event which put them on a pickleball court.

In another event prior to the U.S. Open, tennis stars Andre Agassi, Carlos Alcaraz and Caroline Wozniacki were part of a kickoff event that included pickleball.

Is Pickleball a Threat to Tennis?

While many tennis players are open to pickleball, there are those who are not, especially U.S. Tennis Association President Dr. Brian Hainline. In a recent Time article he said, “When you see an explosion of a sport and it starts potentially eroding into your sport, then, yes, you’re concerned.”

That’s understandable. Pickleball courts have taken over many tennis courts. And if they haven’t fully paved over them, they have taped or painted lines over them. Is that a pickleball issue or tennis issue, though? If people weren’t using tennis courts in the first place, it’s nice to see them used for something else.

Tennis has had the racquet niche to themself for decades. They have a legacy and a huge base. While pickleball might make a dent in their profits and audience, it will still take many years to overtake tennis. In the meantime, both should be able to co-exist and cater to different audiences.

Let us know your thoughts below.